Florida A&M University touts top 100 ranking among U.S. Universities named by U.S. News & World Report in 2026. (Khalil-Lullah / FAMUAN)
Florida A&M University is ranked as the No. 1 Public Historically Black College or University in the nation according to Niche, with an acceptance rate of fewer than 20%.
Many incoming students feel their academic experiences reflect the responsibility that comes with being number one, while others believe there’s room for improvement.
Of the many changes that come along with the transition to higher education, a shift in course rigor is one of them. This is especially true for top-ranking institutions like FAMU, which must ensure that the courses offered align with the effort it takes to get in. Though its admission requirements have become more selective, some students argue that, in the classroom, their expectations are not being met.
One transfer student, Iomar Leatham, who came all the way from North Carolina in pursuit of a business administration degree, says her experience so far is not what she was expecting.
“I feel like I don’t get taught much here, it’s just ‘here’s this PowerPoint, I’m gonna read off of it,’” said Leatham, who explained that in a lot of her classes, professors weren’t as engaging as she hoped, emphasizing some frustration with the use of artificial intelligence.
“I just like being challenged. I feel like I’m not being challenged here,” she continued. “I haven’t been encouraged to use AI so much in my life, and I’m not a big AI person at all,” said Leatham.
FAMU is not alone in its integration of AI. In fact, according to a press release from the Florida Department of Education, Florida institutions have begun to embrace and encourage the use of artificial intelligence as a tool for teachers and students.
For Amany Hilario, a political science scholar who transferred from Tallahassee State College, things seem to be going quite differently. After getting an opportunity to tour FAMU’s campus, Hilario was drawn in by what he described as family spirit and many networking opportunities.
“HBCUs and the regular universities sit on two different poles, I would say,” said Hilario. “The same class that you can get at FSU is probably the same class you can get at FAMU, but … the work ethic that we have in our professors you can’t really find anywhere else.”
FAMU has enjoyed the title of No. 1 public HBCU for seven years but recently dipped to No. 2 behind North Carolina A&T according to U.S. News and World Report.
Factors such as student outcomes, acceptance rates, academic grades, data from the U.S. Department of Education and more all come into play when ranking schools. Despite these thorough measures to create rankings, many feel that the rigor doesn’t match.
“I feel like certain classes that I have, the curriculum is up to the standard that I would expect from a university, but other classes, I feel like it doesn’t match what I should be receiving where I’m paying this amount of money,” said Sarah Drepaul, a third-year pre-med biology student from Broward County.
She also said that certain courses felt more difficult than necessary and didn’t offer many opportunities to improve grades beyond exams or quizzes. “Why am I coming here to teach myself?” asked Drepaul. Even with some of the struggles faced so far, Drepaul is still choosing to stick around and is hopeful that her next semester will be better.
Freshmen from the Class of 2030 shared similar sentiments as Hilario, saying their time on the hill has been enjoyable so far. Other freshmen expressed that the application process was relatively easy and that the hardest part has been adjusting to college.
“It obviously takes a lot more effort to want to learn and apply what you’re learning to your everyday life,” said Jamal Pierre, a freshman studying physical therapy. “It’s really up to you now, but I mean the teachers, they make it easy,” said Pierre.
Two more freshmen, Wynter Shaw and Sarah Ikiddi, said that their classes are going well, though some are more difficult than others.
“I feel like they’re really building me into a better person on how to manage my time, take care of myself, and know when to say no,” said Ikiddi about her experience balancing school with the band and ROTC.