La Jolla, Calif. – National University provides more master’s degrees to Hispanic students than any other college or university in California, according to Black Issues in Higher Education.
In total, National University conferred 363 master’s degrees to Hispanics in the 2002-2003 academic year, representing 14 percent of its total graduates. California State University Los Angeles ranked second in the state, conferring 261 master’s degrees to Hispanics during the same time period. Throughout the United States, only Florida International University granted more master’s degrees to Hispanics than National University.
Black Issues in Higher Education publishes its annual rankings of the top 100 colleges and universities providing graduate degrees to minority students every July. Its rankings are based upon data from the U.S. Department of Education. The latest Black Issues rankings were published on July 29.
Hispanics are critically underrepresented in graduate studies — both in California and throughout the United States — according to a two-year-old report by The Pew Hispanic Center’s Senior Research Associate, Richard Fry, titled “Latinos in Higher Education: Many Enroll, Too Few Graduate.” U.S. Census Bureau statistics reveal that 11 million Hispanics reside in California. While they represent 41.5 percent of the state’s K-12 public school population, Hispanics currently constitute less than 10 percent of total enrollments in higher education.
A random poll of Hispanic graduate students at National University following 2004 commencement revealed that the majority of respondents were working adults who are attracted to National because of its unique evening-based one-course-per-month format. For more information about National University and its Hispanic graduates, please contact David Neville, director of information and community relations, at (858) 642-8163.
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