Morris Brown College
Morris Brown College is a private, non-profit HBCU founded in 1881 in Atlanta, Georgia, offering accredited undergraduate degrees and certificates across four departments and positioning itself as Atlanta's most affordable HBCU with a unique hospitality management program.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1881
- HeadquartersAtlanta, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Morris Brown College does
Morris Brown College is a private, non-profit Historically Black College and University (HBCU) founded in 1881 and located at 643 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Atlanta's Vine City neighborhood, steps from Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The institution delivers accredited undergraduate education through four academic departments (Business, Music, General Studies, Psychology), offering seven bachelor's degree programs with specialized concentrations — including a unique Hospitality Management B.S. (the only such degree at a Georgia HBCU), an Esports Performance concentration in Global Management, Music Production, and Church Music — plus four certificate programs in Entrepreneurship, Esports Performance, Hospitality Management, and Nonprofit Management. Student services encompass library, tutoring (Center for Teaching, Learning and Innovation), counseling, health and wellness, career development, and campus ministry.
The underlying technology stack is standard consumer-grade higher-ed SaaS rather than proprietary infrastructure: Brightspace LMS, Populi student information system, and Accudemia for academic tracking, with no public API, no AI/ML capabilities, and no platform product. The business model is tuition-and-fee-driven, billed annually, marketed as Atlanta's most affordable HBCU, and supplemented by federal financial aid, veteran benefits, and a meaningful institutional grant pipeline — most notably a $50 million, 10-year Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation commitment supporting six Atlanta HBCUs with gap scholarships reaching nearly 10,000 students starting in 2026, and $1.5 million in federal funding for the hospitality management program. Ancillary revenue comes from campus and facility rentals for community events. The college goes to market via direct enrollment through its website (futurewolverine.morrisbrown.edu), campus tours, structured partnerships (U.S. Coast Guard, Teach For America), and earned media.
Operationally, the institution is in an active 'resurgence' period under President Dr. Kevin James following a leadership transition and recent reaccreditation. A flagship off-balance-sheet expansion — Invest Atlanta's approval of an 8-acre mixed-use redevelopment adjacent to campus, including 215 residential units, a 100-room boutique hotel, a grocery store, and a 30,000 sq ft learning/innovation hub — is poised to materially reshape the surrounding Vine City footprint and the college's economic base. Customer segments are dominated by domestic college-bound students seeking affordable HBCU education, with a nascent international student channel and a targeted military-affiliated pipeline.
Morris Brown College firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Morris Brown College
- Legal name
- Morris Brown College
- Website
- https://morrisbrown.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1881
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Morris Brown College is a private, non-profit HBCU founded in 1881 in Atlanta, Georgia, offering accredited undergraduate degrees and certificates across four departments and positioning itself as Atlanta's most affordable HBCU with a unique hospitality management program.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Morris Brown College industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Higher Education
- NAICS
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Private Nonprofit HBCUs (EDAHAMAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Faith-Based & Religious-Affiliated HBCUs (EDAHAMAG)
Keywords
Where Morris Brown College is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Atlanta
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Morris Brown College business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: Revenue from student tuition and fees for accredited degree programs.
- Federal Funding and Grants: Federal grants including $1.5 million hospitality management program funding facilitated by Senator Jon Ossoff.
- Foundation Grants: $50 million 10-year grant from Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation supporting gap scholarships for students.
- Facility Rentals: Campus and facility rental services for community events, meetings, workshops, and cultural gatherings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Affordable HBCU tuition positioning |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Morris Brown College product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Morris Brown College is a private nonprofit HBCU that delivers accredited undergraduate degree programs across four academic departments (Business, Music, General Studies, Psychology) in on-campus and online formats. Offerings include seven bachelor's degrees (B.A. and B.S.) with specialized concentrations plus four certificate programs, supported by student services such as the library, tutoring, health and wellness, career development, financial aid, and campus ministry.
Product overview
Morris Brown College offers a single-campus HBCU educational experience centered on undergraduate degree programs across four academic departments (Business, Music, General Studies, Psychology). The portfolio includes seven bachelor's degree programs (B.A. and B.S. levels) with specialized concentrations such as Esports Performance, Church Music, and Music Production, plus four certificate programs in Entrepreneurship, Esports Performance, Hospitality Management, and Nonprofit Management. The college differentiates itself as the only HBCU in Georgia offering a Hospitality Management program. Student support services including library, tutoring (via CTLI), health and wellness, career development, and financial aid complement the academic offerings. The institution recently received a $1.5 million federal grant to scale its hospitality program and a $50 million scholarship commitment from the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The portfolio does not include a platform or SaaS product; it is exclusively educational services delivered on-campus.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in General Studies An interdisciplinary bachelor's degree program providing academic study across multiple disciplines, for prospective undergraduate students.
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music, Concentration: Church Music A music degree program focusing on church music performance, composition, and ministry for prospective undergraduate students.
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music, Concentration: Music Production A music degree program focusing on audio engineering, recording technology, and music production for prospective undergraduate students.
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Music, Concentration: Vocal Performance A music degree program focused on vocal technique, performance, and musical artistry for prospective undergraduate students.
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Hospitality Management A specialized business degree program in hospitality management, the only HBCU program of its kind in Georgia, supported by $1.5 million in federal funding to scale the program.
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Psychology A science-based degree program studying human behavior, mental processes, and psychological theory for prospective undergraduate students.
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Global Management and Applied Leadership (Esports Performance concentration) A business management degree with an esports concentration combining competitive gaming with leadership studies for prospective undergraduate students.
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Organizational Management and Leadership A degree program focused on organizational leadership, management theory, and professional development for prospective undergraduate students.
- Certificate in Entrepreneurship A certificate program teaching business creation, startup development, and entrepreneurial skills for students seeking a focused credential.
- Certificate in Esports Performance A certificate program focused on competitive esports training, strategy, and performance optimization.
- Certificate in Hospitality Management A certificate program providing foundational hospitality industry knowledge and skills.
- Certificate in Nonprofit Management A certificate program covering leadership, governance, and management of nonprofit organizations.
- Campus and Facility Rentals Venue rental services for community events, meetings, workshops, and cultural gatherings on the Morris Brown College campus.
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 10,000 students projected to benefit from Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation gap scholarships by 2026
Companies that use Morris Brown College
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Morris Brown College technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Morris Brown College partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Invest AtlantacoreInvest Atlanta's Board approved Resurgence Commercial Partners to lead redevelopment of an 8-acre historic site near Morris Brown College. Project includes 215 residential units, 100-room boutique hotel, fresh food grocery store, and 30,000 sq ft learning/innovation hub. Invest Atlanta originally acquired the property in 2014.
- Resurgence Commercial PartnerscoreLead redevelopment partner for 8-acre mixed-use project near campus including residential, hotel, grocery, and innovation hub.
- ImpactDataminorPart of development consortium for 8-acre mixed-use project near Morris Brown College.
- Gibraltar Capital PartnersminorPart of development consortium for 8-acre mixed-use project.
- The Miles Development GroupminorPart of development consortium for 8-acre mixed-use project.
- Prestwick CompaniesminorResidential development partner for mixed-use project.
- Mercy HousingminorResidential development partner for mixed-use project.
- Cityscape HousingminorResidential development partner for mixed-use project.
- U.S. Coast GuardcoreEducational partnership for military-affiliated students providing specialized admission pathways.
- Teach For AmericacorePartnership supporting teacher preparation and educational career pathways for students.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Morris Brown College competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Morehouse College: Private, nonprofit HBCU located in Atlanta, GA, offering undergraduate degree programs. Direct geographic and institutional peer to Morris Brown, sharing Atlanta's HBCU ecosystem, Blank Foundation grant pool, and Vine City/West Atlanta student recruitment base.
- Spelman College: Private, nonprofit HBCU located in Atlanta, GA. Direct peer in market positioning, sharing Atlanta-based student pipeline, comparable tuition/affordability narrative, and overlapping Blank Foundation scholarship participation.
- Clark Atlanta University: Private, nonprofit HBCU in Atlanta formed by the consolidation of Clark College and Atlanta University. Direct peer sharing the same Atlanta HBCU recruitment market, Blank Foundation grant consortium, and similar institutional scale profile.
- Tuskegee University: Private, nonprofit HBCU in Alabama with comparable four-year undergraduate degree structure and similar historic-institution positioning. Comparable in mission, faith-affiliated heritage, and small private HBCU scale profile.
- Fisk University: Private, nonprofit HBCU in Nashville, TN offering undergraduate degrees across a similarly compact academic portfolio. Comparable in small-scale private HBCU positioning, historic legacy, and recent accreditation/turnaround narrative.
- Bennett College: Private, nonprofit HBCU with a small undergraduate enrollment footprint. Direct peer in small-scale private HBCU economics and historic-institution positioning, sharing exposure to accreditation and enrollment sustainability risks.
- Wilberforce University: Private, nonprofit historically Black university affiliated with the AME Church, mirroring Morris Brown's faith-based heritage. Direct peer in AME affiliation, small private HBCU scale, and undergraduate-only academic structure.
- Xavier University of Louisiana: Private, nonprofit HBCU with strong faith-based heritage and a compact undergraduate program portfolio. Comparable in small private HBCU positioning, Catholic/faith-affiliated mission parallel, and similar recruitment markets in the U.S. South.
- Hampton University: Private, nonprofit HBCU offering bachelor's degree programs across business, music, and liberal arts disciplines directly comparable to Morris Brown's academic portfolio. Comparable in mission, accreditation standing, and degree-granting structure.
Broad incumbents
- Howard University: Large, private nonprofit HBCU in Washington, D.C. with a broad portfolio of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Operates as the most-established incumbent in the HBCU category and competes with Morris Brown for high-achieving applicants, though at substantially larger scale.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Morris Brown College social profiles
Digital presenceMorris Brown College financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Morris Brown College leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Morris Brown College funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Morris Brown College M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Morris Brown College
What does Morris Brown College do?
Morris Brown College is a private nonprofit HBCU that delivers accredited undergraduate degree programs across four academic departments (Business, Music, General Studies, Psychology) in on-campus and online formats. Offerings include seven bachelor's degrees (B.A. and B.S.) with specialized concentrations plus four certificate programs, supported by student services such as the library, tutoring, health and wellness, career development, financial aid, and campus ministry.
Is Morris Brown College a public or private company?
Morris Brown College is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Morris Brown College founded?
Morris Brown College was founded in 1881.
Where is Morris Brown College based?
Morris Brown College is headquartered in Atlanta, United States, in the North America region.
How does Morris Brown College make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are federal Funding and Grants, foundation Grants and facility Rentals.
Who are Morris Brown College's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Tuskegee University, Fisk University, Bennett College, Wilberforce University, Xavier University of Louisiana and Hampton University. Howard University is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Morris Brown College have an API?
No public API is recorded for Morris Brown College.
What industry is Morris Brown College in?
Morris Brown College's product category is Higher Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAHAMAB, Private Nonprofit HBCUs, with a secondary code of EDAHAMAG, Faith-Based & Religious-Affiliated HBCUs. Its NAICS code is 611310 and its SIC code is 8200.