SF State again among national leaders in awarding degrees to minorities

Students from minority backgrounds represent half of University's graduates for 2010-11 school year

SAN FRANCISCO, June 11, 2012 -- San Francisco State University is again among the leaders for awarding bachelor's degrees to minority students, ranking 16th nationally in that category, according to a report published June 7 in Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

SF State awarded 2,869 bachelor's degrees to minorities during the 2010-11 academic year -- half of all undergraduate degrees awarded that year and a six percent increase over 2009-10. The University ranked ninth nationally for awarding undergraduate degrees to Asian Americans in all disciplines, 27th for awarding undergraduate degrees to Hispanic students and 36th for awarding undergraduate degrees to Native American students.

Attracting a highly diverse student body and faculty is an important part of SF State's mission, and the University's students and faculty reflect the diversity of the Bay Area and California. Seventy percent of students and 35 percent of tenured or tenure-track faculty come from minority backgrounds.

The University has long been committed to opening doors to higher education for minorities. Programs such as SF ROCKS, Step to College, SF Promise 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 nearly 30,000 students each year and offers nationally acclaimed programs in a range of fields -- from creative writing, cinema and biology to history, broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies. The University’s more than 212,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.

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