San Diego State Ranks Among Nation’s Top Universities
For Bachelor’s Degrees Awarded to Minority Students

Contact: Renee Haines
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Office (619) 594-4298
rhaines@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO, Monday, June 20, 2005 – San Diego State University ranks No. 12 in the nation for bachelor’s degrees awarded to minority students, according to an annual survey released this month by the publication Black Issues in Higher Education.

San Diego State awarded 2,151 bachelor’s degrees to minority students, which was 36 percent of the total degrees award during the 2003-2004 school year studied. The new numbers represent an 8 percent increase in degrees awarded and a rise in the magazine’s national rankings from No. 15 in 2004.

The June 2005 issue of Black Issues in Higher Education containing the report on the top 100 colleges for minorities based its survey on preliminary data for the 2003-2004 school year provided by the U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

“It’s imperative for a major urban university such as San Diego State to reflect the composition of the community we serve and the state we serve, as well as the student population, which now exceeds 40 percent when it comes to students of color,” said Attorney Cheryl A. Fisher, director of the SDSU Office of Diversity and Equity.

“Diversity and excellence go hand in hand, and are the underpinnings of our achievements with respect to the recruitment and retention of students of color,” Fisher said. “Because of our programs and the commitment of the leadership of San Diego State, our goal is to increase the number of students of color attending and graduating from SDSU in the future.”

For academic programs, San Diego State ranked among the top 25 in the United States for awarding bachelor’s degrees to minority students in these fields:
• No. 9 in English Language, Literature and Letters
• No. 11 in Psychology
• No. 14 in Mathematics and Statistics
• No. 16 in Area, Ethnic, Culture and Gender Studies
• No. 18 in Social Sciences
• No. 20 in Health Professions and Related Clinical Science

By ethnic category, San Diego State also ranked in the top 25 for bachelor’s degrees awarded to Hispanics (No. 9), Asian-Americans (No. 21) and American Indians (No. 24).

San Diego State University is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the San Diego region. Since it was founded in 1897, the university has grown to offer bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 areas and doctorates in 16 areas. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in an academic curriculum distinguished by direct faculty contact and an increasing international emphasis that prepares students for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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