UTEP gets recognition as a top degree producer for Hispanic students

The University of Texas at El Paso is recognized as one of the top minority degree producers in the nation.

The magazine “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” ranked UTEP first in the nation for awarding doctoral degrees to Hispanics in engineering, and third for doctoral degrees in rehabilitation and therapeutic professions.

The university ranked in the top five when it came to awarding master’s degrees to Hispanics in engineering, multi/interdisciplinary studies, mathematics and statistics, English language and literature/letters, physical sciences, and rehabilitation and therapeutic professions.

Regarding undergraduate degrees, UTEP ranked among the top five institutions. The degrees that pushed the university into the rankings were biological and biomedical sciences, accounting and related services, homeland security, law enforcement, firefighting and related protective services and engineering.

All the rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education.

UTEP President Diana Natalicio said the rankings validate the university’s role as a national leader in public higher education.

“They reflect our deep commitment to providing equitable educational access for traditionally underrepresented minority students from a broad range of backgrounds, and enabling them to complete highly valued degrees,” added Natalicio in a news release.

UTEP has a majority Mexican-American student population with eighty percent of the university’s students identifying as Hispanic. 83 percent are from El Paso County and four percent are Mexican nationals. Officials said the institution is one of the few doctoral/research universities in the U.S. with this ethnic makeup, and they take that role seriously.

“The caliber of our students is unquestionable; we are especially proud of their success,” said UTEP Provost Carol Parker in a news release. “This recognition demonstrates our commitment to our mission, and further validates the effort our excellent faculty, staff and administration make to increase access to higher education, while simultaneously providing our students with exceptional educational opportunities.”