Historic HBCU founded by African Americans in 1881, now fully accredited and resurgent.
Morris Brown College offers bachelor of arts and bachelor of science degrees across four departments: Business, Music, General Studies, and Psychology. The Department of Business also offers four certificate programs. The college provides distance education options and a Presidential Honors College. After losing accreditation in 2002 due to federal financial aid fraud, Morris Brown applied for candidacy through TRACS in 2019 and received full accreditation on April 26, 2022—a rare achievement after nearly two decades without accreditation.
The 21-acre urban campus in Atlanta features historic buildings including Fountain Hall (a National Historic Landmark originally built in 1882). Herndon Stadium, designed to seat 15,000, hosted field hockey during the 1996 Summer Olympics. The college maintains homecoming traditions annually and offers housing, dining, campus ministry, and active Greek life. The legendary Marching Wolverines band program, featured in the 2002 film Drumline, was discontinued in 2002 but leadership has discussed revival now that accreditation is restored.
Morris Brown College is now enrolling students for spring 2026 and August 2026. The college has been approved for international student enrollment and offers military admissions pathways including US Coast Guard partnership and Teach for America programs. Campus tours are available. Financial aid, including federal Title IV funding, is now accessible following accreditation restoration.
Morris Brown experienced severe challenges from 2002–2019, including accreditation loss, bankruptcy (2012), and enrollment collapse to fewer than 50 students. Under President Kevin E. James (appointed 2019), the college initiated 'The Hard Reset' recovery plan. A $30 million Hilton partnership in 2021 established a hospitality management program. The city of Atlanta purchased the campus in 2014 to prevent foreclosure. Current leadership aims to make Morris Brown the top-ranked HBCU across all metrics.