Tougaloo College

Tougaloo College is one of the oldest historically black colleges and universities in the United States. Its origins can be traced to the Amistad. Founded in 1869, by the American Missionary Association, Tougaloo College was established on the remains of the John Boddie Plantation. On a site that once served to enslave, limit and shackle the minds, bodies and spirits of many African Americans now stands an institution representing an intellectual oasis of freedom and ideals. Since its founding, Tougaloo College has developed a national reputation for academic excellence and social commitment, distinguishing itself as a critical educational and community resource for the State of Mississippi and the nation.

Tougaloo College is a historic and distinctive institution with a storied past and proud legacy. The College remains committed to the vision of providing a quality education to young men and women who often come from challenging circumstances. The College is the leading producer of African-American health professionals educated in the state of Mississippi, claiming 40% of the practicing African-American physicians and dentists among its graduates. It has produced more than 35% of Mississippi's African-American current educators, including teachers, principals, and school superintendents. Over one-third of the African-American attorneys practicing in Mississippi today are graduates of Tougaloo College.

As one of the nation's premier historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Tougaloo College is an institution devoted to education in the liberal arts tradition. More than 66 percent of our graduates enroll immediately in graduate or professional school following attainment of their Tougaloo College degrees. The College ranks among the top 50 U.S. institutions whose graduates earn PhDs in science and engineering disciplines and among the top 15 historically black colleges and universities in the graduation of females with undergraduate degrees in the physical sciences. The College has produced more graduates who have completed their PhD degrees through the UNCF-Mellon Doctoral Fellowship Program than any other institution in the nation.

The College takes pride in instilling in its students a hunger for independent critical analysis, sound judgment, aesthetic appreciation, intellectual acuity, and respect for the less fortunate in our society. The College's retention rate of 78% is significantly greater than the national average (60%). Tougaloo College provides a supportive educational environment where students have the benefit of a strong peer community as well as continual access to faculty and support staff. Students who come to Tougaloo College know that they can graduate and obtain a degree without getting lost in the academic maze, which is challenge for many students at larger institutions. Students attending Tougaloo College work with a teaching faculty selected not only for excellence in various subject areas but also for the desire and ability to transmit knowledge effectively and to build a learning environment that enables students to succeed. Tougaloo College faculty (many of whom have won distinguished teaching awards) choose to come to the College because of their strong commitment to liberal arts education and to the mutually enriching pursuit of teaching in a historically black college. A college whose students are promising first generation college enrollees, many with extraordinary needs but all with extraordinary talent and potential. Largely attributable to the quality and commitment of the Tougaloo College faculty, our graduates are outstanding leaders who contribute immeasurably to the economic development and prosperity of the State of Mississippi, the region and the nation.