June 27, 2003

San Francisco State University ranks 10th nationwide in awarding undergraduate degrees to minorities, according to a survey published earlier this month in Black Issues in Higher Education.

SFSU awarded 2,150 undergraduate degrees to minorities in the 2001-02 academic year, comprising 48 percent of its baccalaureate graduating class, according to the survey. SFSU ranked 11th nationwide in last year's survey.

SFSU consistently ranks high in the number of degrees awarded to Asian Americans, scoring seventh overall nationwide for undergraduate degrees.

"We are proud that San Francisco State University is consistently recognized as one of the nation's top producers of minority graduates in a wide range of disciplines," President Robert A. Corrigan said. "San Francisco State's standings in the survey are the result not only of the Bay Area's ethnic diversity, but also of our long tradition of reaching out to ethnic communities, incorporating diversity into the curriculum, and ensuring a welcoming, inclusive campus environment for people of all backgrounds."

SFSU also:

• awarded more undergraduate education degrees to Asian Americans than any other school in the nation except University of Hawaii-Manoa;
• awarded more undergraduate business degrees to Asian Americans than any other school in the nation except San Jose State University;
• tied for fifth with University of California, Santa Barbara, in awarding undergraduate ethnic studies degrees to Asian Americans;
• tied for ninth with CUNY Hunter College and University of Pittsburgh in awarding undergraduate ethnic studies degrees to African Americans;
• tied for 14th with Wesleyan University in awarding undergraduate ethnic studies degrees to Hispanics;
• tied for 20th with University of California, Davis; University of Florida; and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in awarding undergraduate English language and letters degrees to Hispanics;
• ranks sixth in undergraduate English language and letters degrees to Asian Americans;
• ranks sixth in undergraduate ethnic studies degrees to all minority groups;
• ranks 10th in undergraduate English language and letters degrees to all minority groups.

Researchers at Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis conducted the 12th annual Top 100 Degree Producers survey using data from the 2001-02 academic year compiled by the U.S. Department of Education. Rankings are based on the numbers of baccalaureate degrees awarded to minorities at universities across the country. The survey was published in the June 5 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education.

-- Matt Itelson

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Last modified June 27, 2003, by the Office of Public Affairs