Maryland's Public System of Higher Education

Three USM Schools Recognized as Best Colleges for African-Americans by MONEY and ESSENCE Magazines

Adelphi, Md. (April 15, 2016) -- Three institutions within the University System of Maryland (USM) have been named a "Best College for African-Americans" by Money and Essence magazines.

Money and Essence recognized the flagship University of Maryland, College Park (UMCP) campus as No. 10 on its list among all institutions ranked, and No. 3 among public universities.

Money collaborated with Essence on this new list, conducting an analysis of more than 1,500 colleges before announcing a list of 50 institutions that present the best college value for African-American students. Such data as graduation rates, earnings potential, and percentage of African-American students in the overall student body are used in the analysis.

Bowie State University, the first historically black institution in Maryland and a campus celebrating its 150^th anniversary, is ranked among the list's Top 20.

Towson University also is recognized on this distinctive list of 50 institutions. The announcement from Money and Essence lauds Towson University for being "well balanced and very diverse" and a 17-to-1 student-to-professor ratio that fosters academic success.

Contact: Mike Lurie
Phone: 301.445.2719
Email: mlurie@usmd.edu