March 1, 2022
Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) has been named one of the nation’s “Top 10 Two-Year Schools by Region 2019-2020” for Hispanic students according to rankings released by Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine. BMCC is also the top-ranking CUNY college as well as the top-ranked college in the entire northeastern region for awarding the most—2,062 total— associate degrees to Hispanic students.
Acknowledging the enormous challenges of the past year, the magazine said community college students are “frequently first-generation learners, full-or part-time workers, single parents and minorities—with the best opportunities for improving their skills and moving forward in their careers.”
“BMCC is proud to be recognized as a leading Hispanic Serving Institution. Our evidence-based, equity-centered efforts to raise academic success and degree retention greatly benefit the Latinx students who represent just over 37% of our student population,” said Dr. Anthony E. Munroe, President at BMCC. “With cohort programming, STEM support, industry certification programs and collaborations with corporate partners, we enable our Latinx students to build paths to further degrees and high-demand careers, eventually raising their socioeconomic mobility and lifting entire families out of poverty. We never lose sight of that end goal. It drives everything we do.”
The Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine rankings are based on the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), surveys conducted annually by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), and data from all 50 states.
The U.S. Department of Education defines colleges with 25% or more Hispanic students as an Hispanic Serving Institution or HSI. In Fall 2020 IPEDS data, BMCC reported that 40% of the student population was Hispanic.
BMCC’s commitment to Hispanic students and status as a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) is reflected in the college’s participation in the Excelencia in Education national initiative.
Another example of BMCC’s efforts to raise the success of Hispanic and other students is the $3 million, five-year Conexiónes Title V Project Grant awarded to BMCC in 2020 to increase student engagement and provide students with a deeper connection to their career interests.
Rounding out the top 10 northeastern region colleges—from most to least number of associate degrees awarded to Hispanic students—are LaGuardia Community College (CUNY), Bronx Community College (CUNY), Suffolk Community College (SUNY), Queensborough Community College (CUNY), Nassau Community College, Westchester Community College (SUNY), Hudson Community College and finally, Kingsborough Community College (CUNY).
BMCC’s ranking as a top college for Latinx/Hispanic students relates in part to the college’s Strategic Goal #4; Improving completion and transfer rates through integrated support services.
- BMCC awarded most associate degrees to Hispanic students among CUNY two-year colleges
- Rankings in Hispanic Outlook on Education Magazine based on US DOE data
- As many as 40% of BMCC student population is Latinx/Hispanic
