Delaware State University

Delaware State University is a publicly supported, privately governed historically Black land-grant research university located in Dover, Delaware. Founded in 1891, it serves undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students across multiple colleges, including agriculture, science and technology, business, health and behavioral sciences, and humanities and education. The university also operates additional locations in Wilmington and Georgetown. Classified among doctoral universities with high research activity, Delaware State University is known for programs in agriculture, aviation, education, business, and the sciences. Its aviation program operates a university-based flight school, and its land-grant mission continues to shape its focus on research, community engagement, and access to higher education for a diverse student population.

Delaware State University was founded on May 15, 1891, as the Delaware College for Colored Students by the Delaware General Assembly in Dover, Delaware. Created under the Morrill Act as a land-grant institution for African Americans during segregation, it was renamed the State College for Colored Students in 1893 and awarded its first degrees in 1898. The institution achieved accreditation in the mid-twentieth century and became Delaware State College in 1947. After decades of academic expansion and program development, the college was renamed Delaware State University on July 1, 1993, reflecting its broadened mission and graduate offerings. In the twenty-first century, Delaware State University expanded its research profile, strengthened doctoral programs, and in 2021 acquired Wesley College in downtown Dover, marking a significant milestone in its institutional growth and evolution.