This report presents a statistical overview of trends in the development of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). An introductory chapter reviews the history of HBCUs and discusses the current status in terms of enrollment, degrees conferred, staff, salaries, and finances. Nine text figures and 54 summary tables provide detailed data organized into the same categories. Supplemental information is given for all public and private institutions to allow comparative evaluations with all institutions. The report finds that: (1) as a group, HBCUs entered a period of growth during the late l980s, with some of the increase due to a larger proportion of black students choosing HBCUs; (2) over the 1976-1994 period the student racial/ethnic mix became more diversified, especially for degree recipients; (3) the number of degrees conferred has also risen since 1990, due mainly to increased enrollments; (4) financial and faculty resources at public HBCUs are stronger than those at private institutions; (6) faculty salaries at all HBCUs have increased at about the same rate as at all institutions, but nevertheless remain at a lower level than institutions of higher education in general; (7) educational expenditures at all HBCUs have increased, but at a lesser rate than at comparable institutions. Appendixes include a guide to the sources used and the comparability of data, information on methodology, and a glossary. (CH)