Howard University Has Received One of the Largest Gifts in its History, an $80 million Investment from Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott

Howard University has received one of the largest gifts in its history, an $80 million investment from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, who continues to make transformative gifts to higher education institutions, including historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). When combined with gifts of $40 million and $12 million to Howard in 2020 and 2023, respectively, this gift brings Scott’s recent contributions to Howard to $132 million. The $80 million is an unrestricted gift to Howard University and Howard University College of Medicine.
 

The gift will be used to accelerate Howard’s momentum and impact at the forefront of higher education research and student development. This year, the Carnegie Foundation and American Council on Education designated Howard as an R1 institution, a recognition reserved for colleges and universities with the highest levels of research activity in the nation. Also this year, LinkedIn and Forbes named Howard the nation’s top HBCU and U.S. News and World Report ranked Howard’s programs in business, computer science, economics, psychology and criminal and constitutional law, among others, as the best programs among HBCUs.