Diverse: Issues in Higher Education has ranked UNC Charlotte No. 21 in the nation for graduating African American students with bachelor’s degrees in all disciplines combined in its 2022 Diverse 100.
According to the rankings, 25 Charlotte undergraduate areas of study rank in the top 100 for African American graduates, with a dozen top 20 rankings, including:
- Foreign Language, No. 2
- Finance, No. 4
- Health Professions, No. 8
- Physical Sciences, No. 11
- Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, No. 13
- Engineering Technologies and Engineering-Related Fields, No. 20
UNC Charlotte also ranks No. 1 in North Carolina and No. 69 overall for bachelor’s degrees awarded to minorities, up five spots from 2021.
“A college degree is crucial to securing the jobs of the future,” said UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon L. Gaber. “As the region’s public research university, access and equity are an important part of our mission. The Diverse 100 rankings demonstrate how the innovative student success approach we’ve developed is supporting historically underrepresented populations and helping to build a brighter future for 49er alumni, their families and our city.”
Through recent investments from Charlotte-based business partners, including Bank of America and Truist Financial, the University will impact even more students, Gaber said.
Latinx/Hispanic Graduates
UNC Charlotte, which leads North Carolina in awarding bachelor’s degrees to Hispanic/Latinx students, received a University record 13 top 100 program rankings for awarding degrees to Hispanic/Latinx students.
This includes:
- Finance, No. 32
- Engineering Technologies, No. 36
- Computer and Information Sciences, No. 38
- Architecture, No. 40
- Health Professions, No. 47
Graduation rates for African American and Hispanic/Latinx students at Charlotte have risen over 20% during the past five years.
The rankings, released Oct. 13, are based on the magazine’s analysis of U.S. Department of Education reports submitted by institutions for the 2020-21 academic year and is the only national report on the ability of U.S. colleges and universities to award degrees to African American, Hispanic, Asian American and Native American students.
For graduate programs, Charlotte ranks in the top 10 in two categories and No. 3 among North Carolina-based universities for master’s in all degrees combined for African Americans.
This is one of several recent rankings that illustrate UNC Charlotte’s success creating educational opportunities for underrepresented students. U.S. News & World Report recently ranked the University among the most ethnically diverse in the nation and as a top performer in social mobility.