Xavier University of Louisiana

  United States

University Attributes: There are 102 historically Black colleges in the U.S., only one is Catholic. There are 253 Catholic colleges in the U.S., only one is historically Black.

Mission

As the nation's only institution of higher learning that is historically Black and Catholic, Xavier's purpose from its founding has been to help create a more just and humane society. Reaffirming its Black heritage and its Catholic tradition, Xavier offers opportunities in education and leadership development to the descendants of those historically denied the liberation of learning.

National Ranking

According to the U.S. Department of Education, Xavier continues to rank first nationally in the number of African American students earning undergraduate degrees in biology, physics, and the physical science overall. Xavier was recently selected for funding by the National Science Foundation to participate in the program for Model Institutions for Excellence in Science, Engineering and Mathematics - one of only six chosen in a national competition among sixty-nine eligible schools. Xavier has been especially successful in educating health professionals. Its College of Pharmacy is number one in the nation in pharmacy degrees
awarded to African Americans; since 1927 it has graduated nearly 25% of the 6500 black pharmacists practicing in the United States. It is one of only two pharmacy schools in Louisiana. In 1994, the College expanded its curriculum to confer only the Doctor of Pharmacy as its professional degree, as most of the nations leading pharmacy schools have now done.

In pre-medical education, Xavier is first in the nation in placing African American students in medical schools. Between 1995-1998 pre-professional students in the health field have gone on to a wide range of institutions: from Louisiana State U. and Tulane locally to Meharry, Albert Einstein, Baylor, St. Louis U., Howard, Case Western Reserve, Johns Hopkins, Morehouse, Northwestern, the Medical College of Pennsylvania and more than thirty-five state universities coast to coast. The 70% acceptance rate of Xavier graduates at medical and dental schools is almost twice the national average, and 93% of those who enter medical and dental schools complete their degree programs.