Alliant International University Ranks As Most International Doctoral University in the U.S., and Fifth in Diversity

In the rankings from U.S. News and World Report released yesterday, Alliant International University is placed first among national doctoral universities in the percentage of international students, and fifth in overall campus diversity

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) August 24, 2003 -- In the rankings from U.S. News and World Report released yesterday, Alliant International University is placed first among national doctoral universities in the percentage of international students, and fifth in overall campus diversity

When students opt to matriculate at one of Alliant International Universitys nine campuses in California, Mexico, or Kenya, it rarely has had anything to do with the annual U.S. News and World Report college rankings. Most Alliant International University students are non-traditional students looking for a very particular kind of educational experience-one that is not easily measured by the metrics used to compile the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings.

The university has campuses in Alameda, Fresno, Irvine, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Nairobi, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco.
U.S. News and World Report handed us a great affirmation," said Judith E. N. Albino, Alliant International University president. Alliant International University programs focus on building and enhancing human capacity in a multicultural, technologically complex, and globally interdependent society.

"Our raison detre is to train professionals to enhance peoples quality of life by addressing major contemporary social issues in a problem-solving way. To have scored so well on internationalism and diversity means that our message is getting out, and people understand what were all about."

Alliant International University was created two years ago when the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), a graduate-level professional school headquartered in San Francisco, was combined with the United States International University (USIU), based in San Diego. CSPP operated campuses in the San Francisco Bay area, Fresno, Los Angeles, and San Diego. USIU operated campuses in San Diego, Nairobi, and Mexico City. The two institutions shared a similar set of values as well as a strong commitment to multiculturalism and diversity. They were combined and renamed Alliant International University in 2001.

The newly released 2004 U.S. News and World Report rankings show that 36% of Alliant International University undergraduates were international students during the 2002-2003 year. The next closest national university with doctoral programs was the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut, with 27%.

The 2004 rankings are based on data from the 2002-2003 school year. U.S. New and World Report derives its diversity index by calculating the percentages of Native Americans, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, African-Americans who are non-Hispanic, whites who are non-Hispanic, and Hispanics.

With respect to overall diversity, Alliant International University was ranked fifth among national universities with doctoral programs. The largest minority at Alliant International University is Hispanic, at 25% of the student body. Many of the other institutions that ranked high in diversity did so due to a high percentage of Asian-American students. Alliant International University was one of only a very few in the country with a high concentration of Hispanic students.

Thats another result that we find very gratifying," said Dr. Albino. Weve worked hard to make sure our programs and curriculum appeal to people who want to work in a multicultural world. Weve pioneered programs in multicultural education, research, and training. Weve adopted a multicultural values statement and we actively promote the adoption of multicultural competencies in our degree programs.

I think that groups who have traditionally felt disenfranchised, and perhaps not quite welcome within mainstream educational institutions, have found an academic 'home with us. These latest rankings from U.S. News and World Report confirm this."