Florida's first HBCU and independent institution of higher learning, founded 1866 by the AME Church.
Edward Waters University offers a reinvigorated liberal arts curriculum with eight undergraduate bachelor's degree programs including Communications, Music, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Biology, Elementary Education, Mathematics, and Business Administration. Graduate programs include Cybersecurity, Business Administration, Education Policy & Advocacy, and Public Administration. The university emphasizes market-relevant, industry-focused curricula with experiential learning and comprehensive academic services to support student success.
The university occupies a 23-acre urban campus in Jacksonville featuring Centennial Hall, a historic 1916 building on the National Register of Historic Places that houses the Edward Waters University Library and the Obi-Scott-Umunna Collection of African Art. Students engage through campus dining, career planning services, student organizations, the Royal Court, Student Government Association, and the Tiger Nation Campus Activities Board. The Triple Threat Marching Band, established in 2001, has performed at NFL Jacksonville Jaguars halftime shows.
Edward Waters competes in 16 intercollegiate varsity sports as an NCAA Division II member of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) since 2021–22. The Tigers and Lady Tigers field teams in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, track & field, volleyball, golf, soccer, softball, and competitive cheerleading. The university broke ground on a permanent on-campus football facility in February 2020 to meet NCAA specifications.
Established in 1866 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church to educate freedmen and their children, Edward Waters University is distinctively Florida's first independent institution of higher learning and first HBCU. The original campus was destroyed in the Great Fire of 1901; the college reopened with new facilities by 1904. It was accredited as a four-year institution in 1979 and began awarding bachelor's degrees. The university maintains its Christian, historically Black identity and commitment to academic excellence, scholarship, research, and community service.