UM a Leader in Improving Minority Graduation Rates

The University of Maryland has risen to No. 14 among then nation's Top 25 research universities who have made significant strides in improving minority graduation rates, according to the Education Trust. The rankings, which appeared online, were identified using data compiled from the years 2002 to 2007.

The Education Trust promotes high academic achievement for all students at all levels -- pre-kindergarten through college. Its goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that consign far too many young people -- especially those from low-income families or who are black, Latino, or American Indian -- to lives on the margins of the American mainstream.

The Education Trust's numbers align with other data confirming UM's commitment to minority achievement.

Among the Top 25 Public Universities in America, as ranked by U.S. News & World Report, UM graduates more African American students -- a combined baccalaureate, master's and doctorate total -- than its peers. Also, The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education surveyed flagship universities to determine which schools have improved the most in graduating black students. In its data, UM raised its graduation rate by 20 percent, from 46 percent (1998) to 66 percent (2008), and ranked No. 4 on the JBHE list.

According to Diverse Issues in Higher Education, UM ranks among the top 25 U.S. schools in graduating African Americans, Asian Americans and in total minority degrees.

The Education Trust: "This brief highlights the efforts of public colleges and universities that have boosted graduation rates for minority students -- sometimes even closing the gaps between minority students and their peers. The data presented here provide a baseline for colleges seeking to raise minority graduation rates and show that improvements are taking place in a range of settings.

"The focus is on the top gainers among public colleges and universities in graduating underrepresented minority students -- African-American, Hispanic, and Native-American students. Nationally, two-thirds of minority students who attend a four-year college attend a public institution. Given the mission of public colleges to serve the higher education needs of their states, these institutions must do their utmost to ensure that far more young Americans from minority backgrounds earn a college degree."

For Immediate Release March 5, 2010 Contacts: Herb Hartnett, 301 405 4628 or hhartnet@umd.edu