PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Prairie View A&M University has been ranked among the nation’s top three public Historically Black Colleges and Universities on Forbes’ inaugural “Top HBCUs” list. This places PVAMU among an elite group of 20 institutions (10 private and 10 public) recognized for setting graduates up for long-term success.
The timing could not be more fitting. The recognition arrives as the University celebrates its Sesquicentennial, marking 150 years since its founding in 1876 as the oldest public HBCU in Texas and the second-oldest public university in the state. Throughout the year, PVAMU will host a series of signature events honoring the depth, significance, and enduring legacy of the institution, and this national recognition adds another milestone to that historic celebration.
A Ranking Built on Outcomes
Forbes’ new ranking, developed using the same methodology as its 2026 America’s Top 500 Colleges list, evaluates schools on student outcomes and return on investment, including graduation rates, retention, earnings potential, student debt load, and outcomes for Pell Grant recipients. The list also draws on the Forbes American Leaders List, which tracks graduates who have gone on to hold high office, win prestigious honors, or otherwise distinguish themselves nationally.
Ranked alongside North Carolina A&T State University and Florida A&M University, Prairie View A&M stands among the nation’s most respected public HBCUs, a testament to the strength and consistency of the University’s academic offerings and graduate outcomes.
“Being recognized by Forbes as one of the nation’s top HBCUs is an exciting milestone for PVAMU,” said Joy D. Thomas, Ed.D., interim assistant vice president for Enrollment Management and executive director of the Office of Student Financial Services. “For those of us in Enrollment, it reinforces what we already know: students who choose PVAMU are choosing an institution committed to their success from admission through graduation. As we continue welcoming future Panthers, this recognition highlights the value of a PV education and the life-changing opportunities available to our students.”
Why PVAMU Stands Out
In its profile of the University, Forbes highlighted PVAMU’s strengths as a member of The Texas A&M University System, noting its nationally recognized programs in agriculture, engineering, nursing, business, and architecture, as well as growing research in renewable energy and cybersecurity. The publication also noted the University’s notable alumni as a reflection of the wide-reaching impact PVAMU graduates have had across public life, entertainment, and beyond.
Forbes’ data also underscored the University’s strong return on investment for graduates: PVAMU alumni post an early-career median pay of $72,300 and a mid-career median pay of $117,900, figures that rank among the strongest of any HBCU, public or private, on the list. Those outcomes helped earn Prairie View A&M its No. 3 ranking among public HBCUs.
A University on the Rise
PVAMU has long been respected as an institution on solid footing and with an upward trajectory. That commitment shows up in the numbers.
For Fall 2025 (the most recent certified data), the University’s total enrollment reached 10,057 students (9,022 undergraduates and 1,035 graduate students), continuing a pattern of steady growth and attracting students from across Texas and beyond.
Since the University’s founding, Prairie View A&M has awarded more than 87,000 certificates and degrees (including over 55,900 bachelor’s degrees, nearly 26,000 master’s degrees, and 444 doctorates), with an additional 1,781 candidates graduating between fall 2025 and summer 2026.
Today, PVAMU offers more than 75 undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral programs across 10 academic colleges and schools, plus the Graduate School, which oversees graduate education University-wide.
As a state-assisted, public, comprehensive land-grant institution designated in 1984 by Texas constitutional amendment as an “institution of the first class,” Prairie View A&M is committed to excellence and relevance in teaching, research and service, with a particular focus on the issues facing Texas’ diverse communities and the broader global arena.
Part of a Broader HBCU Story
Prairie View A&M’s ranking arrives amid what Forbes describes as a “resurgence in HBCU popularity nationwide.” The University joins a distinguished list that includes Howard University (#1 private), Spelman College (#2 private), North Carolina A&T State University (#1 public) and Florida A&M University (#2 public), a reminder of the caliber of company Prairie View A&M now keeps on the national stage.
Based on reporting by Texas Metro News.
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