Aug. 29, 2006 — For the third time in as many weeks, the University of Virginia has been included in a national magazine's list of the nation's top universities. Today, in the just-released September issue of Black Enterprise magazine, U.Va. made the list of the 50 Top Colleges for African Americans.

This news comes on the heels of two other magazine rankings. First came the U.S. News & World Report's America’s Best Colleges ranking, which rated the University of Virginia the No. 2 public university in the nation and No. 24 among all universities, public and private. That followed Newsweek’s special back-to-school issue in which U.Va. was named one of “25 New Ivies.”

Earlier this year, U.Va. was singled out by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education for leading the nation's public universities — 12 years running — in the retention and graduation rates of black students.

According to the Black Enterprise magazine, which put the University at No. 35, it reviewed a total of 1,423 colleges and universities to develop its “50 Best Colleges” list. The selection process included the input of more than 500 African-American education professionals who helped to assess the social and academic environments at at each of the schools.

Among the variables considered in the rankings were the graduation rate of black students, the average survey score of the school's social and academic environments, and the total black undergraduate enrollment.

“Education is truly the key to success, especially for African Americans,” Earl G. Graves Sr., chairman and publisher of Black Enterprise, wrote in his letter to President Casteen announcing the University's inclusion on the list. “I commend you for your efforts to create an environment that prepares students for life's challenges.”

For more information, contact Andrew Wadium at 212-886-9598 or wadiuma@blackenterprise.com.