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Forbes ranks N.C. A&T as America's leading public HBCU

NCA&T Commencement
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North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
North Carolina A&T University's 2026 Spring Commencement.

Forbes has ranked North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University the number one public HBCU in the country. It’s the business magazine’s first-ever ranking of historically Black colleges and universities.

Judges looked at a variety of measures, including undergraduate costs, early career median pay and student debt. N.C. A&T Provost Andrew Daire says he’s pleased that Forbes has recognized the university for something beyond being the nation’s largest HBCU. But he says he’s most excited for the boost it will likely give A&T students as they enter an increasingly competitive job market.

"We're the number one producer of Black STEM graduates who make enormous contributions to North Carolina's knowledge economy workforce." 

Daire says moving ahead, top priorities include improving the university’s four-year graduation rate, advancing students’ learning and preparing them to innovate in the global AI economy.

Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.