Founded by Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune in 1904, Bethune-Cookman University celebrates 103 years of continued educational commitment as an historically Black university. The institution offers baccalaureate degrees and most recently launched its’ first Master’s program in Transformative Leadership. The mission of the institution is to serve in the Christian tradition the educational, social, and cultural needs of its students--traditional and non-traditional--and to develop in them the desire and capacity for continuous intellectual and professional growth, leadership, and service to others. Institutional priorities in the mission of the University are teaching, research, community service and commitment to moral and personal values.

The University enrolls promising secondary school graduates and adult learners from diverse social, economic and educational backgrounds. Most of the students are residence of Florida; however, the University actively recruits students from the national and international communities. To enhance student life, the University provides well-rounded activities for all students in areas, such as, service and social organizations, religious programs, honor societies, major area clubs, intercollegiate athletics, and an intramural athletics program.