N.C Central University ranked 30th among the top 50 colleges for African Americans in the September issue of Black Enterprise magazine.

The ranking represents a 12 spot increase since 2001 and an average trend since the list’s first appearance in the magazine’s 1999 January issue.

A total of 1,423 colleges and universities met the criteria established by BE and Thomas A. LaVeist, Ph.D., CEO of DayStar Research.

The survey was completed by more than 500 African American higher education professionals ,including presidents, chancellors and directors.

They rated each school based on a scale from 1 (strongly recommended) to 5 (strongly discouraged).

The schools surveyed were accredited four-year colleges with an African American student enrollment of at least 3 percent. Their enrollment data was to be submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.

The variables considered:

black student graduation rate; average survey score for the school's academic environment; average survey score for the school's social environment; total black undergraduate enrollment; black undergraduate students as a percentage of total undergraduates (credit for this variable was capped at 50% for HBCUs).

Florida A & M topped the list, Howard University placed second, and North Carolina A & T University came in third.

It was surprising to some students that N.C. A & T University ranked higher than N.C. Central and that Duke University was listed at all.

“We should have been up there with A & T,” said Elementary Education sophomore Ashley Tedde.

BE surveyed universities from across the country.

Mitchell Webson, a mass communication junior said, “I think it's a good thing that Central made the list; it's a slow process, but a process that is happening.”

Lolethia Underdue, General Manager for Audio Net, said, “Central has done an outstanding job to be in the top 50. I expect it will be even higher next year.”

Chancellor James H. Ammons said that being on the list confirms that NCCU is doing things right.

A comprehensive program has been put in place to increase academic, graduation, and social scores, with an emphasis on closing the gap for students with the highest financial need.

“Many are leaving because they run out of money,” said Ammons.

In addition to finding more financial resources, NCCU has created a living and learning environment that brings students together to study in their dorms.

In an effort to improve the intellectual climate, public figures such as Cornell West, Michael Eric Dyson, ... and Dennis Kimbrel have all been invited and visited the campus.

Furthermore, academic advising has been intensified, and students are attending overseas programs in Lybia, Kenya, and South Africa. Soon they will be able to study in Ghana.