What makes an HBCU popular? Leadership? Sports? Tradition? As college choice increases, it’s an important question to ask. HBCUs are fighting for students, funding and cultural recognition – all critical elements to the ability of black colleges to grow.

Today marks the first day in a summer-long series, the ‘HBCU Pop Culture Index.’ Throughout the summer, I’ll be asking readers to rank the elements of their HBCU in their perceived order of popularity. From campus life to administration to academics, we’ll get to the root of what makes HBCUs popular among their supporters.

And through this info, we’ll have an unofficial look into what students, alumni, faculty and leadership value most about the HBCU experience.

To start, a collective look at HBCU culture as a whole. Be on the look out for surveys on individuals HBCUs that will be published daily.