Fast Facts
Founded in 1904 by Mary McLeod Bethune, Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) today sustains her legacy of faith, scholarship and service through its relationship with the United Methodist Church and its commitment to academic excellence and civic engagement. B-CU offers baccalaureate degrees in 35 majors through seven academic schools – Arts & Humanities; Business; Education; Nursing; Science, Engineering and Mathematics; Social Sciences and Graduate and Professional Studies – and maintains intercollegiate athletic programs and instrumental and choral groups that have achieved national recognition. Under the direction of President Trudie Kibbe Reed, the school achieved University status in 2007 with the launch of a master’s degree program in transformative leadership. Located in Daytona Beach, B-CU is one of three private historically black colleges in the state of Florida. The institution boasts a diverse and international faculty and student body of more than 3,600. 
National Recognition
- Awarded accreditation by: Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC); National League of Nursing; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education; Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration
- Named by the book Creative Colleges: A Guide for Student Actors, Artists, Dancers, Musicians and Writers as one of the top 200 colleges in the nation for creative students
- Selected for the “Hot Picks” list of best colleges for Hispanic students by Hispanic Outlook magazine
- Selected as a member institution of Project Pericles, an effort to foster civic engagement among students
Research Achievement and Academic Honors
- In 2006, B-CU received a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to fund an intensive, three-year faculty development program focusing on excellence in teaching and learning practices, pedagogy and technology related to the Freshman College program.
- In 2008, B-CU was awarded a $223,000 grant by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to purchase equipment for the University’s Robotics and Embedded Systems Research Laboratory. The University was also named to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Environment Cooperative Science Center (ECSC) consortium;
- Also in 2008, B-CU’s Hospitality Management Program received accreditation from the Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. B-CU has one of three programs in the state of Florida accredited by ACPHA.
Financial Stability
- Increased endowment from $25 million in 2004 to $44 million in 2007
- Increased alumni giving by 32%, exceeding goal of $525,000 for FY2006
Campus Improvements
- Construction of the Center for Civic Engagement to serve as the hub of the University's community outreach activities
- Construction of the L. Gale Lemerand School of Nursing building which houses state-of-the-art technology-equipped lecture halls, classrooms and skills labs as well as a nurse-managed community clinic. The new building provides sufficient space to accommodate increasing enrollment
- Opening of Alumni House, a University-owned property given to the National Alumni Association, and two new Scholarship Houses to provide additional residential living options to B-CU students.
