U of A Ranked in Top 100 of Schools Awarding Degrees to Minority Students

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Diverse: Issues In Higher Education magazine has included the University of Arkansas in its annual list of the “Top 100 Degree Producers of Minority Degrees” among U.S. institutions of higher education – ranking both undergraduate and graduate programs. The magazine does not rank individual institutions, but does rank schools under broad categories of degrees conferred on specific minority groups. A broad range of U of A programs are consistently ranked in the Top 50 or better by the magazine.

“This is a real mark of the University of Arkansas’ commitment to educating all Arkansans,” said Yvette Murphy-Erby, vice provost for diversity and inclusion. “There is still a great deal to be done to meet our goals, but these rankings show what we have accomplished already to establish a foundation for further progress.”

Each of the individual colleges on campus, as well as the School of Architecture and School of Law, have degree programs ranked by Diverse. The  College of Engineering stands out, however, with four of its programs ranked in the top 5:

• No. 2 in master’s degrees awarded to African American students
• No. 2 in master’s degrees awarded to the total of minority students
• No. 3 in master’s degrees awarded to students who identify as two or more races
• No. 5 in master’s degrees awarded to Hispanic students
• No. 20 in bachelor’s degrees awarded to Native American students
• No. 25 in master’s degrees awarded to Asian American students

“Ensuring diversity among our students, faculty and staff is a key focus of the College of Engineering, because we know diversity strengthens our institution and leads to better outcomes for all involved,” said John English, dean of the College of Engineering. “It’s great to see we measure well at a national level, but we know the work is not over.”

The Diverse rankings focus on degrees awarded for specific minority groups. The largest number of programs at the university were ranked for degrees awarded to Native American students. Again, the rankings are based on the magazine’s broad groupings of programs.

• No. 4 in bachelor’s degrees in family and consumer sciences/human sciences
• No. 10 in bachelor’s degrees in social sciences
• No. 12 in bachelor’s degrees in communications, journalism and related programs
• No. 13 in bachelor’s degrees in education
• No. 13 in professional doctoral degrees in law
• No. 15 in professional doctoral degrees awarded in all disciplines combined
• No. 20 in bachelor’s degrees in biological and biomedical sciences
• No. 20 in bachelor’s degrees in engineering
• No. 24 in bachelor’s degrees in all disciplines combined
• No. 34 in total graduate level degrees in all disciplines
• No. 38 in bachelor’s degrees in business administration, management and operations
• No. 45 in bachelor’s degrees in business management, marketing and related support services
• No. 47 in bachelor’s degrees in health professions and related programs
• No. 59 in master’s degrees in education
• No. 59 in master’s degrees in all disciplines combined

“The University of Arkansas is pleased to be designated by the Department of Education as a Minority Serving institution – specifically for Native American students,” said Stacy Leeds, dean of the School of Law. “We are proud to be an institution that not only attracts students from Indian country, but empowers them to thrive, earn their degrees, and be poised to make a difference in a wide variety of communities. This is true for law students, and also for the undergraduate and graduate programs that are ranked so highly in awarding degrees to Native students.”

ADDITIONAL RANKINGS

The next largest group of programs awarded degrees to undergraduate and graduate students who identified as being of two or more races:

• No. 3 in master’s degrees awarded in engineering
• No. 10 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in marketing
• No. 14 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in physical sciences
• No. 19 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in agriculture and related sciences
• No. 20 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in finance and financial management
• No. 22 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in architecture and related fields
• No. 27 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in family and consumer sciences
• No. 27 in master’s degrees awarded in accounting and related services
• No. 32 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in history
• No. 42 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies
• No. 85 in doctoral degrees awarded in all disciplines

University of Arkansas programs were also ranked in the number of degrees awarded to African American students:

• No. 2 in master’s degrees awarded in engineering
• No. 23 in master’s degrees awarded in health diagnostic, intervention and treatment professions
• No. 27 in bachelor degrees awarded in architecture and related fields
• No. 36 in bachelor degrees awarded in agricultural and related sciences

Several programs were ranked for the number of degrees awarded to Hispanic students:

• No. 5 in master’s degrees awarded in engineering
• No. 38 in master’s degrees awarded in parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies
• No. 41 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in architecture and related fields
• No. 41 in master’s degrees awarded in foreign languages, literatures and linguistics
• No. 42 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in agriculture and related sciences

Two general program areas were ranked for degrees awarded to Asian American students:

• No. 22 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in agriculture and related sciences
• No. 25 in master’s degrees awarded in engineering

U of A programs also placed in the Top 50 in rankings of undergraduate and graduate degrees awarded to all minority students as a whole:

• No. 2 in master’s degrees awarded in engineering
• No. 36 in master’s degrees awarded in parks, recreation, leisure and fitness studies
• No. 40 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in agriculture and related sciences
• No. 47 in bachelor’s degrees awarded in architecture and related sciences

About the University of Arkansas: The University of Arkansas provides an internationally competitive education for undergraduate and graduate students in more than 200 academic programs. The university contributes new knowledge, economic development, basic and applied research, and creative activity while also providing service to academic and professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the University of Arkansas among only 2 percent of universities in America that have the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the University of Arkansas among its top American public research universities. Founded in 1871, the University of Arkansas comprises 10 colleges and schools and maintains a low student-to-faculty ratio that promotes personal attention and close mentoring.

This story originally appeared in the University of Arkansas’ Newswire publication. Please visit news.uark.edu for more stories like this.