Mason tops newest U.S. News & World Report’s college rankings for Virginia
BY BRAD BYRNE, STAFF WRITER
In the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings for Campus Ethnic Diversity, Mason was ranked as the most ethnically diverse university in the state of Virginia, while also coming in at a tie for No. 25 nationally.
U.S. News & World Report provides nearly 50 different types of numerical rankings and lists to help students narrow down their college search — with new editions being posted yearly.
The Campus Ethnic Diversity ranking is based on U.S. News factoring in the total proportion of minority students, leaving out international students and the overall mix of groups according to the report. Such ethnic categories that were used for this ranking included non-Hispanic African American, Hispanic, American Indian, Pacific Island/Native Hawaiian, Asian, non-Hispanic white and multiracial.
According to the Office Of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning, white Americans were the most prominent ethnicity at Mason with 15,750 students, followed by Asian Americans with 6,652, Hispanic Americans with 4,937 and African Americans with 4,063.
Mason also came in at a tie of No. 33 for Most Innovative Schools in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2020 rankings. As Virginia’s largest public research university with an R-1 rating, Mason keeps options open for students to have as many research opportunities presented to them as desired.
Other rankings for Mason in this year’s report include a tie at No. 153 for National Universities, a tie at No. 109 for Best Colleges for Veterans, a tie at No. 43 for First-Year Experiences, a tie at No. 72 for Top Public Schools and No. 135 for Best Value Schools.
Provost S. David Wu commented on the newest ranking in an email stating, “Diversity and innovation are in the Mason DNA.”
Wu also emphasized the focus of “providing students with all different backgrounds access to an excellent education,” and that it is important that Mason is “serving a diverse academic community and meeting students where they are.”
This ranking is a great testimony to the ingenuity and hard work of our outstanding faculty and staff … serving a diverse academic community and meeting students where they are takes a great deal of creativity and innovation,” said Wu.
