by Lane Stephenson
Reprinted from the Texas
A&M website
(College Station)—Texas A&M University continues to fare well in national rankings by Hispanic publications, most recently being listed prominently by The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education in several categories for number of Hispanic students earning degrees and for number of Hispanic students enrolled.
Other A&M System universities listed were Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Texas A&M International University.
Lists compiled by the magazine's editors rank Texas A&M 26th in the granting of bachelor's degrees to Hispanics and 15th in doctoral degrees.
Texas A&M is listed even higher in bachelor's degrees awarded in several specific academic areas, including first nationally in agriculture, fifth in biological and biomedical sciences and sixth in engineering. Additionally, in the professional degree category, Texas A&M ranks fifth nationally in veterinary medicine.
In overall Hispanic enrollment, the magazine shows Texas A&M to have 4,146 Hispanic students and rank 29th.
The editors note the graduation figures are based on 2005 data gathered by the National Center for Education Statistics, but the enrollment figures are based on 2004 data.
Texas A&M officials point out the magazine's enrollment figures do not reflect the university's large Hispanic freshman enrollment last fall-when the university surpassed for the first time the 1,000-student milestone for entering Hispanics. Early indications point toward another large entering freshman class of Hispanics and African Americans, university officials note, but no firm figures will be available until later in the year.
Earlier, Hispanic magazine listed Texas A&M as one of the 25 top universities for Hispanic students.
In making their assessments for top 25 designation, the editors noted
that in addition to the "essentials”—an institution's
selectivity, graduation rates, faculty-student ratio and academic excellence,
relying in part on information compiled with the assistance of U.S.
News & World Report—they take into consideration such factors
as Hispanic enrollment, cultural programs and organizations and support
for Hispanic students. Texas A&M has been included in Hispanic's
top 25 rankings for four consecutive years. 