FAMU Drops in U.S. News 2025-26 Rankings — Still Tops Public HBCUs
Tallahassee, FL — Florida A&M University has slipped in the latest U.S. News & World Report 2025-2026 “Best Colleges” rankings, falling from #81 last year among public universities to #92 this year.
Even with this drop, FAMU retains its status as the No. 1 public Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the country.
What Changed & Who Moved Up
Several public universities whose metrics improved (in areas like graduation rates, retention, research output, or outcomes) have jumped ahead of FAMU this year, contributing to its fall in the overall public university ranking.
Still, among its peer HBCUs, FAMU remains unmatched in the public category. While private HBCUs such as Spelman, Howard, etc., are often compared in broader rankings, in the public-HBCU bracket, FAMU is once again number one.
A Record of Excellence
This marks the seventh consecutive year that FAMU has been ranked as the top public HBCU in the U.S. News rankings. Even with fluctuations in its national standing, FAMU’s consistency among public HBCUs highlights its strong commitment to mission, student success, and institutional improvement.
