University of Louisville ranks tops in nation for educating Blacks

The University of Louisville received top marks for educating Black students in a national report card, pushing Kentucky to fifth place in the country, reports Kentucky.com. The University of Louisville tied with the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and the University of California, San Diego, for No. 1 in the nation, according to the report card issued by the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center. Most of the federal data was taken from 2016-2017. The report card graded universities on how their Black student population compared to their state’s Black population, gender equity among Black students, graduation rates for Black students compared to overall graduation rates, and the ratio of Black faculty to Black students. For example, the University of Louisville got an A grade because 11.1 percent of students are Black, which is above the 10.6 percent of Black 18-24 year-olds statewide. It also received a B for graduation rates because Black students have a six-year graduation rate of 46.5, compared to the school’s overall graduation rate of 53.2. The report card used the grades to compute overall equity scores, comparable to a GPA that goes to 4.0. No state earned above a 3.5. Thanks to Louisville’s high marks, Kentucky received a 2.36, which put it fifth in the nation. “Diversity is a longstanding core value at the University of Louisville,” said spokesman John Karman. “Under the leadership of our new president, Neeli Bendapudi, it has become an even greater priority. The university is proud of its reputation as an institution that welcomes students of all backgrounds. However, we realize there always is work to do to ensure that our campus remains a place that embraces a diverse student body.”