HBCUs

Florida's First HBCU Has Its Biggest Fall in More Than 20 Years

Edward Waters University enrolled 1,281 students, 39 short of its all-time record.

October 30, 2026 at 4:13 AM ET · The Newsroom

Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, founded in 1866 by and for formerly enslaved people and the first historically Black college in Florida, enrolled 1,281 students this fall. That is up 5.4% from last year, up 37.4% from 932 students in fall 2019, and the school's highest fall enrollment in more than 20 years.

The university now sits 39 students short of its all-time enrollment record. It took in 674 new students, up 15.4%. That includes 287 first-time college students, 209 transfer students (up 34.8%) and 119 new graduate students. More than 13,000 prospective students applied for the 2026-27 year.

The money is moving the same way. The university has posted six straight years of operating surpluses, and its endowment has tripled from $2.8 million to $8.6 million.

Source: theGrio