U.S. News Ranks SDSU Among Best in Nation
SDSU ranked No. 8 in nation for the least debt among its graduates and in the top 20 for ethnic diversity.
U.S. News & World Report released its annual “America’s Best Colleges 2013” rankings this morning and San Diego State University is ranked No. 8 in the nation for universities whose students graduate with the least amount of debt. Among universities in California, SDSU ranks No. 1 for students with the least debt.
The magazine indicated that 44 percent of SDSU students graduate with no debt at all and the average amount of debt for students is just $16,400.
“While students and parents continue to struggle as a result of the weak economy, we remain committed to our efforts that help keep student debt load down,” said Craig Yamamoto, director of SDSU’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. “It is a priority for SDSU to support students with financial need, as well as those students who have demonstrated a commitment to achieving at the highest levels.”
Less than 15 percent of SDSU students rely only on loans to cover educational costs. Nearly half of students receive some form of grant aid – financial aid that does not need to be paid back. The university has raised more than $40 million toward scholarships in the last five years.
Ethnic Diversity
SDSU also ranks among the top 20 universities nationally for ethnic diversity. More than half of SDSU students are students of color, including 30 percent who are Hispanic. SDSU was recently named a Hispanic Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education.
“Just as important as the number of racially diverse students is their continued academic success,” said Aaron Bruce, SDSU Chief Diversity Officer. “SDSU students from historically-underrepresented ethnic groups graduate at nearly the same rate as white students, essentially closing the achievement gap at SDSU.”
Top Public University
SDSU also ranked in the top 100 best public schools in the nation.
Several SDSU academic programs also ranked nationally, including: international business (#12), Best Undergraduate Business Schools (#87) and Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs (#96).
Earlier this year, several SDSU graduate programs were ranked among the nation’s best in U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Graduate Schools 2013.”
