SF State ranks high for graduating minority students

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 24, 2014 -- San Francisco State University was among the top institutions in the United States for graduating minority students in the 2012-13 academic year, ranking 13th out of 100 for the highest number of bachelor's degrees awarded.

The annual ranking of postsecondary institutions, conducted by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, reported that SF State awarded 3,467 bachelor's degrees to minority students -- 2,018 to women and 1,449 to men -- 20 percent higher than the 2011-12 academic year. Minority students made up 55 percent of SF State graduates receiving bachelor's degrees.

"The diversity of our student body is one of the many things that make the University great," said President Les Wong. "Our campus culture celebrates equity, inclusion and the intellectual benefits of approaching questions from diverse perspectives."

SF State ranked eighth out of 100 for bachelor's degrees for Asian Americans, who made up 28 percent of the graduating class. Degrees were granted to 942 women and 811 men for a total of 1,753 Asian American graduates, a 19 percent increase over the previous year.

SF State also came in 30th out of 100 for bachelor's degrees awarded to Hispanics -- with 726 degrees for women and 437 for men, totaling 1,163 degrees and a 23 percent increase over 2011-12. Hispanic students made up 18 percent of the total number of the University's graduates receiving bachelor's degrees.

Other top 100 rankings earned by SF State included 53rd for Asian Americans receiving master's degrees (with 178 degrees or 13 percent of all graduates); 56th for Hispanics receiving master's degrees (with 188 degrees or 14 percent of all graduates); and 92nd for Native Americans receiving bachelor's degrees (with 22 degrees).

The study, which has been conducted since 1990, looked at 2.76 million degrees granted at the bachelor's, master's and doctoral levels in the United States in the 2012-13 academic year. The rankings appeared in the Oct. 9 issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education (Volume 31, Issue 18).

SF State consistently ranks highly in similar surveys of ethnic diversity. In U.S. News & World Report's 2013 annual "Best Colleges" rankings, SF State placed sixth on the diversity index, which measures the student body's proportion of minority students. With 41 percent nonwhite tenured/tenure-track faculty, SF State's teaching staff also reflects California's diversity.

The Diverse Issues in Higher Education rankings did not include international students. According to the Institute of International Education, SF State typically enrolls more international students than any other institution granting master's degrees in the country, with about 1,500 international students from more than 100 countries.

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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, biology and history to broadcast and electronic communication arts, theatre arts and ethnic studies. The University’s more than 228,000 graduates have contributed to the economic, cultural and civic fabric of San Francisco and beyond.