News Release
SF State ranked among top in nation for awarding degrees to minority students
In rankings, half of University graduates were minorities
SAN FRANCISCO, July 1, 2009 -- San Francisco State University again ranks among the leaders in the nation for awarding undergraduate degrees to minority students. In a report published in Diverse Issues in Higher Education on June 25, SF State ranked 12th nationally by awarding 2,710 baccalaureate degrees to minorities during the 2007-08 academic year. That number represented half of the University's graduates and marked an 11 percent increase from the previous year.
SF State also ranked ninth for awarding undergraduate degrees to Asian Americans in all disciplines and 31st for awarding undergraduate degrees to Hispanic graduates -- both categories represented increases of nearly 10 percent from the previous year.
"Equal access to an education is essential for a vibrant and well-functioning democracy," President Robert A. Corrigan said. "It is important to the future of this state to continue providing educational opportunities for all the people of California. We are pleased by this recognition, but there is still much work to do."
SF State's student body and faculty reflect the diversity of California and the Bay Area, with more than 60 percent of the student body coming from minority backgrounds and non-white faculty comprising 48 percent of the University's tenure/tenure-track faculty.
The University has long been committed to opening doors to higher education for minorities. Such programs as SF ROCKS, the Step to College Program and others have demonstrated SF State's commitment to social justice and ensured educational opportunities for students of minority backgrounds.
SF State is the only master's level public university serving the counties of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin. The university enrolls more than 30,000 students each year. With nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communications arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies -- the University's more than 140,000 graduates have contributed to the economic cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.
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