Kennesaw State recognized among top universities in the U.S. for degrees earned by minority students

KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 15, 2021

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education recently ranked Kennesaw State University among the nation’s Top 100 colleges and universities for conferring degrees to minority students. This is the 11th consecutive year the University has been ranked.

Photo
 

“Kennesaw State University is committed to providing every student with resources and opportunities they need to be successful,” said KSU Interim President Kathy Schwaig. “Having a diverse campus community is a strength that is an important part of our students’ education, of building an excellent R2 university and creating successful graduates.”

Among the more than 2,500 colleges and universities examined by Diverse, Kennesaw State ranked 14th nationwide, up three spots from the previous year, in bachelor’s degrees presented to African American students across all disciplines for the 2019-20 reporting period. Additionally, the University ranked among the top 75 in bachelor’s degrees conferred to all minority students in all disciplines and among the top 100 in the nation in master’s degrees conferred to African American students in all disciplines.

"Kennesaw State has seen an increase in enrollment of minority students, in part because the University has developed programs and initiatives to engage a more diverse campus community,” said Sonia Toson, Interim Vice President of Diverse and Inclusive Excellence and Chief Diversity Officer.

In addition to the Top 100 Producers list, the publication also ranked individual academic programs for degrees conferred to minority students, broken down by race and ethnicity. Kennesaw State was recognized among the Top 100 in 141 academic degree categories, with 16 programs ranked in the top 25.

In 2019-20, Kennesaw State awarded nearly 39 percent of all undergraduate degrees and 58 percent of all graduate degrees to minority students. For the first time in the University’s history, minority students account for more than half of Kennesaw State’s nearly 43,000 undergraduate and graduate students, based on Fall 2021 enrollment numbers.

Thomas Hartwell


Related Stories

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 45,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.