New York City has opened the nation’s first high school dedicated to preparing students for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The school, located in Jamaica, Queens, is a partnership with Delaware State University (DSU) and has already attracted major attention from students and families across the city.

Principal Dr. Asya Johnson, a DSU graduate, emphasized the importance of creating an institution like this in New York. “There’s just not enough exposure to HBCUs across the country,” she told ABC News. “We talk about college and college access, but we do not spend enough time celebrating the history and the data around it.”

HBCUs play an outsized role in educating Black professionals, enrolling nearly 10% of all Black undergraduates nationwide and producing the majority of Black doctors, lawyers, and judges, according to data from the United Negro College Fund and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. Despite their impact, there are no HBCUs north of Pennsylvania on the East Coast—something Johnson said she hopes the new school can help address.

“It’s important because it doesn’t exist,” Johnson explained. “We often don’t explain to students what exists beyond just our state or our local tri-state area. Why not expose students to that?”

Interest in the new school has been overwhelming. With only 100 seats available for its first class, more than 1,000 students applied for admission, Johnson said. Applicants were asked to write an essay tackling a technology or healthcare issue in their community and submit a two-minute video on how they would use their degree to give back.

The school’s mission is to “cultivate a community of learners dedicated to academic excellence, diversity, societal contributions, and social justice,” according to its website. Starting in 11th grade, students will take online college-level courses taught by DSU professors. Graduates can earn up to 64 college credits—equivalent to an associate’s degree—and are guaranteed admission to Delaware State University, city officials confirmed.

DSU President Tony Allen highlighted the broader impact of HBCUs during the school’s launch. “To be clear, the greatest indicator for a lower-resourced student from an under-served community to actually get into the middle class and change the economic trajectory for themselves, their families, and their communities is their attendance at an HBCU,” he said.

Beyond academics, Johnson stressed the school’s commitment to nurturing students holistically. “We want them to know that from the minute they walk into the doors, how much we love and care for them,” she said.