WASHINGTON, DC – FEB29: The Founder’s Library at Howard University, February 29, 2016, in Washington, DC. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is joining Howard University in an effort to find a preservation solution for a challenge impacting academic institutions across the country. (Photo by Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)For generations, Howard University (HU) has carried a reputation that extends far beyond the gates of its Washington, D.C., campus. But against the backdrop of recent enrollment controversy, the “Mecca” is getting another major recognition: Howard has been ranked the nation’s top historically Black college or university (HBCU) by Forbes. The numbers reflect what many Howard alumni already know: a Howard degree carries weight.