KENNESAW, Ga. | Aug 27, 2018

Kennesaw State honored for the eighth consecutive year

Kennesaw State University was again ranked among the top 100 colleges and universities in the nation that confer the most degrees to minority students by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. The annual rankings were released in the magazine’s Aug. 23 edition.

The Diverse rankings placed Kennesaw State 17th in the nation in bachelor’s degrees presented to African-Americans in all disciplines, a jump up from the 24th spot last year. When combining all master’s-level disciplines, the University ranked 90th for graduate degrees conferred to African-American students.

“We deeply value the diversity of our students, and this national ranking reveals our continued commitment to create and promote an inclusive and supportive environment where all students can be successful,” said KSU President Pamela Whitten.

The Top 100 ranking also lists Kennesaw State as 80th in the nation in conferring bachelor’s degrees to all minorities across all disciplines. The University conferred 1,677 undergraduate degrees to minority students in 2016-17, which represents about 35 percent of all graduates at Kennesaw State that year.

The Top 100 Producers list also ranked specific academic programs for degrees conferred by each and all minority groups among the 100 institutions. Kennesaw State was recognized in 75 different categories for bachelor's and master's degree programs, with nine programs ranked in the top 10. 

The University's communications and journalism degree program ranked seventh for the number of African-American students earning degrees in the discipline, a 65 percent increase over last year. Ranging from engineering, psychology, education and performing arts, each of KSU's academic colleges are represented in the various degree disciplines named in the rankings.

The annual ranking examines the ability of 2,746 U.S. colleges and universities to award degrees to African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic and Native American students. According to Diverse, the Top 100 report is the only national analysis using the most recent enrollment data from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics.

Kennesaw State was first recognized as a top degree producer by the publication in 2011.

In Fall 2017, minority students accounted for more than one-third of Kennesaw State’s 35,846 undergraduate and graduate students. African-American students represent about 21 percent (7,643), Hispanic students account for 9 percent (3,307) and Asian-American students compose more than 4 percent (1,726) of KSU’s total student population.

In addition to being recognized by Diverse, Kennesaw State continues to earn distinction as a diversity leader. Insight Into Diversity magazine designated KSU a “Diversity Champion,” one of only 12 schools nationwide to be honored in 2017.

– Tiffany Capuano

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.