Tuskegee University
Tuskegee University (visited 2/18/24)
Tuskegee is an absolute must-see! People walk with a sense of purpose here and there’s a palpable sense of pride. One of the first things our tour guides did was teach us this: “If people yell ‘TU!’, you answer ‘You Know!’” From everything I’ve seen, the pride students have in their school is well-earned. Students feel a real sense of community; they’re proud of their school and its history, and it’s small enough for them to meet and form friendships while being big enough to provide a lot of options for them.
The campus was designed by Robert Taylor, the first African-American to graduate from MIT. One of the tour guides said, “It’s a walking bit of history. It was built by students for students. You can still see the fingerprints in some of the bricks.” Another guide said, “The pride hits a little differently because of the history and legacy. You’re part of something here. It’s a culture for sure!” This sense of community shows in their retention rate. Almost 80% of students return for sophomore year which is better than a lot of HBCUs I’ve visited, but still has some room for improvement.
Tuskegee is the only university to be named by Congress as a National Historic Site. Booker T. Washington was the first president, and he’s buried on campus – as is George Washington Carver. Other parts of the Historic Site include Washington’s home (The Oaks), the Monument called “Lifting the Veil of Ignorance,” and the Carver Museum. The Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site is only a couple miles from campus.
There are about 2400 undergrads at Tuskegee with about half of the population coming from Alabama and Georgia (split almost equally between the two). It’s not surprising that they pull so many from Georgia: they’re not far from the boarder, and Atlanta is only about 90 minutes away. This also makes it easier for students coming from a distance to get to campus. One of our tour guides was from DC and will either get a ride from a friend or will grab one of the shuttles from the Atlanta airport (which is actually closer than Birmingham); the shuttles cost a bit, but it’s reasonable.
Admission is competitive; they accept only about 1/3 of applicants making it one of the most competitive HBCUs in the country along with Florida A&M (which only accepts about 2% more of their applicants. By comparison, Howard accepts about 40%; Spelman just over 50%, NCA&T almost 60%). They provide a lot of financial support, and the rep I spoke to said that they’re always working on improving this, as well.
The students also get a great deal of academic support and access to opportunities, but they aren’t spoon fed. “The opportunities are here. If you take advantage of them, you’re going to do great, but you’re an adult. No one is going to make you do it.” Another guide agreed: “You get a million emails but it’s up to you to go through them. The opportunities really are endless.” There’s an extensive alumni network of people willing to help students which stems back to the pride they feel in their school. The students have a lot to say about the professors here. They love the classes. “You’ll have to work, but the expectations are reasonable.”
People here want to see others succeed. Education is the point of being here, and it’s a top-ranking school for social mobility. Although this is a private institution, it was founded as a land-grant so it’s no surprise that they have strong STEM and agricultural programs. They have a great track record with students getting into med, vet, and other post-grad programs. One of the tour guides is off to med school in the fall: “I’ve gotten a lot of help with Med school applications and MCAT prep.”
- Additionally, 75% of black veterinarians are Tuskegee grads! A lot of these students major in Animal, Poultry, and Vet Sciences (although there are plenty of other options, too). Within the major, they have some niche programs such as Wildlife Science, Companion & Lifestyle Animals, and a Business option.
- Their Aerospace Science Engineering is particularly strong – and has been around awhile. In partnership with the US Army Air Corps, the university helped launch the Tuskegee Airmen who took classes in this department and trained at the airfield. Students still interested in the military can do ROTC here, as well (and their AFROTC branch is known as “The New Tuskegee Airmen”). Tuskegee graduates the highest number of African American aerospace engineers in the country.
- They also offer the full BArch degree.
- This is the only HBCU (and 1 of only 11 universities) authorized to run a Kellogg Foundation Hotel and Conference Center. (The only others in the US are at Michigan State, Gallaudet, and Cal Poly Pomona). Students majoring in Hospitality or in Dietetics can get hands-on experience here.
They have a mix of building styles on campus:
- The original chapel burnt down in the 1950s; they think the cause was a lightning strike. The new one has no 90-degree angles because it’s thought that lighting won’t strike that. “If it does, I guess we’ll find out that they’re wrong.” Convocation, part of orientation, and the pin ceremony are all done in the chapel.
- Housing seems to be the biggest issue; many of the buildings could use upgrades, and it seems like the school is slowly getting around to doing this as funds allow. There are some off-campus options as well as some owned by the university. Freshman can’t have cars but there are shuttles to stores several times a month. Food is okay “but there’s room for improvement.”
- The Carver museum is under renovations right now; I’d like to go back someday so I can see it!
The town is cute but isn’t huge (just under 10,000 people). There are some things around, but generally, there’s not a ton for students to do. Auburn is about 20 minutes away, but the nearest city (Montgomery) is about an hour. This makes is a little more difficult for students to get to from a distance. However, there’s a ton to do on campus, and students stick around. Greek Life is a big deal here.
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