The dreams of great leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois, great poets like Nikki Giovanni and great historians like John Hope Franklin are alive at Fisk University. Before they achieved enormous status and changed the world- before they became dream-makers in their own rights - they were Fiskites. Our history serves as a wellspring of inspiration for our students.
Only one year after the Civil War came to an end, three enterprising missionaries founded the Fisk Free Colored School in Nashville (TN). Their first students were inextricably bound by the tireless struggle for equality and shared an unquenchable thirst for learning.
Fisk is a national attraction for talented students. In Forbes Magazine’s 2014 list of "650 Top Colleges," Fisk is ranked in Tier One and is the nation's highest-ranked historically black college/university.
61% of Fisk students enter graduate or professional school within one year of graduation, well above the national average (23%). Biology is the most popular major, followed by business, psychology, physics and chemistry. A Master’s-to-Ph.D. "bridge program" in physics, astronomy and materials science is offered in conjunction with nearby Vanderbilt University. Other partnership options allow students to pursue degrees in engineering, pharmacy, medicine as well as art, design & film.
With nearly 30 bachelor degree programs, over 60 student organizations, internships, student exchange, independent study, distance learning and research opportunities available, it’s no wonder that students have been drawn to Fisk for almost 150 years!
