NAU ranks among top institutions for minority students earning degrees

diverseissuesNorthern Arizona University ranks among the best in the nation for conferring the highest number of bachelor’s degrees to minorities, particularly among Latino and Native American students, according to two newly released reports that track minority education trends.

In an annual report produced by Diverse Issues in Higher Education, NAU ranks eighth in the nation for awarding bachelor’s degrees to Native Americans in all disciplines, and 50th in the nation for graduating Latino students in all undergraduate disciplines. NAU ranks 87th for total minority graduates in all disciplines.

The magazine’s rankings are based on an analysis of U.S. Department of Education data for the 2011-12 academic school year.

The report also gives NAU 17 top-10 rankings in specific disciplines for minority bachelor’s degree production—15 of which fall under graduating Native American students.

Using the same data but a different methodology, Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine released its Top 100 Colleges for Latinos, which ranks NAU 62nd in the nation for conferring bachelor’s degrees to Latinos, and 58th for the most full-time undergraduate and graduate Latino students. NAU also ranked ninth in education disciplines and 10th for natural resources and conservation for Latino undergraduate degree production.

Here is how NAU ranks in Diverse Issues top 100 list for minority education:

Total Minority Graduates
87th All Disciplines Combined

  • 13th Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
  • 14th Education
  • 14th Hospitality Administration/Management
  • 18th Natural Resources and Conservation
  • 55th Physical Sciences
  • 97th Business Administration, Management and Operations
  • 98th Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services 

Native American Graduates
8th All Disciplines Combined

  • 2nd Physical Sciences
  • 4th Education
  • 5th Finance and Financial Management Services
  • 6th Engineering
  • 6th Health Professions and Related Programs
  • 7th Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender and Group Studies
  • 7th Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services
  • 7th Public Administration and Social Service Professions
  • 8th Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • 8th Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
  • 9th Business Administration, Management and Operations
  • 9th Natural Resources and Conservation
  • 9th Psychology
  • 9th Social Sciences
  • 10th Communication, Journalism and Related Programs
  • 12th Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies
  • 13th Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
  • 30th Visual and Performing Arts

Latino Graduates
50th All Disciplines Combined

  • 7th Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
  • 10th Education
  • 12th Hospitality Administration/Management
  • 18th Natural Resources and Conservation
  • 29th Physical Sciences
  • 37th Philosophy and Religious Studies
  • 39th Public Administration and Social Service Professions
  • 43rd Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • 43rd Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
  • 50th Health Professions and Related Programs
  • 52nd Business, Management, Marketing and Related Support Services
  • 52nd Marketing
  • 53rd Business Administration, Management and Operations
  • 69th Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies
  • 83rd Social Sciences
  • 90th Psychology
  • 98th Accounting and Related Services

African American Graduates

  • 32rd Hospitality Administration/Management
  • 79th Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities

Asian American Graduates

  • 20th Natural Resources and Conservation
  • 24th Hospitality Administration/Management
  • 25th Education
  • 35th Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
  • 89th Parks, Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies