University Of Maryland Named A Top 10 Best College For African Americans By Money & Essence Magazines

April 13, 2016 College of Arts and Humanities

UMD came in at No. 10 on the list among all institutions ranked and No. 3 among public universities.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The University of Maryland has been named a Best College for African Americans by MONEY and ESSENCE magazines. UMD came in at No. 10 on the list among all institutions ranked and No. 3 among public universities.

MONEY collaborated with ESSENCE on this new list, analyzing more than 1,500 colleges to identify the 50 institutions that offer the best value for African American students. Factors measured included graduation rates, affordability, earnings potential and representation.

“The University of Maryland is committed to inclusive excellence, and we are honored to be recognized for our efforts and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion,” said Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph.D., Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President at UMD. “The university has long promoted equity and diversity as core values and we recognize that an inclusive educational community is one of our greatest strengths.”

UMD is known as a national leader in closing the achievement gap. Nearly one fourth of UMD's undergraduates are underrepresented ethnic minorities and 40 percent or more of freshman classes have identified themselves as students of color, with close to 13 percent identifying as African American.