UTSA ranked #3 in awarding degrees to Hispanics

Ricardo Romo (photo)
UTSA President

UTSA continues as National Leader in Educating & Graduating Hispanic Students

Ranks No. 3 for awarding undergraduate degrees and No.8 for master’s degrees, Master’s degree rankings up three places in annual magazine survey

(San Antonio)—The University of Texas at San Antonio ranks No. 3 in the nation in the number of undergraduate degrees awarded to Hispanic students and No. 8 nationally in the number of master’s degrees awarded to Hispanics, up from No. 11 last year, according to the May 2007 edition of The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine. The magazine’s annual survey reviewed statistics from the 2005-2006 academic year of the Top 100 predominantly Hispanic-serving colleges and universities in the United States and Puerto Rico.

UTSA earned the No. 3 national ranking for the second year in a row when 1,616 Hispanic undergraduate students out of a total of 3,370, or 48 percent, earned their bachelor’s degree.

UTSA earned the No. 8 national ranking when 332 Hispanic graduate students out of a total 905, or 37 percent, received their degree. Last year’s survey listed UTSA No. 11 nationally in awarding graduate degrees to 304 Hispanic students, 36 percent of the class of 855.

UTSA also ranked among the top-ten in 10 undergraduate degree program areas out of the 20 disciplines surveyed. “As UTSA continues its drive toward becoming a premier public research university, we remain focused on being an institution of access and excellence that will better serve our community students who have traditionally been underrepresented in higher education,” said UTSA President Ricardo Romo.

Each year, The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education magazine report includes Hispanic student participation across all major fields of study. The mathematics program in the UTSA College of Sciences improved from 7th to 2nd place awarding 24 undergraduate degrees to Hispanics. UTSA ranked second in the biological sciences with 108 undergraduate degrees awarded to Hispanics. The architecture program in the UTSA School of Architecture ranked 2nd in awarding 53 undergraduate degrees.

The UTSA undergraduate rankings include:
2nd—Mathematics: 24
2nd—Biological Sciences: 108
2nd—Architecture: 53
2nd—Business and marketing: 457
3rd—Multi/Interdisciplinary studies: 235
5th—Protective Services: 101
6th—Psychology: 113
6th—English Literature: 70
9th—Engineering: 85
10th—Communications: 62

Overall, The University of Texas System dominated the first tier of the Top 100
institutions with UT-Pan American, UT-El Paso and UT-San Antonio placing among the Top 10.

The University of Texas at San Antonio is one of the premier institutions of higher education in South Texas and one of the fastest growing universities in the state. One of nine academic universities and six health institutions that comprise the UT System, UTSA is the second largest institution in the system.

Celebrating its 37th anniversary, UTSA serves more than 28,300 students enrolled in 63 bachelor's, 43 master's and 20 doctoral degree programs.

Programs are offered through the colleges of Architecture, Business, Education and Human Development, Engineering, Honors, Liberal and Fine Arts, Public Policy, and Sciences, and the Graduate School. A Top 100 Hispanic-serving institution, UTSA is ranked among the top 10. A university of access and excellence, UTSA is committed to research and discovery, teaching and learning, and public service.

By Kris Rodriguez
Office of University Communications