According to one publication, NIU has what it takes to be a top school for minorities.

NIU was named 11th in the nation among several colleges and universities in a recent issue of “Black Issues in Higher Education,” which listed the top 100 institutions that graduate minority students, including bachelor’s and master’s degree students for all majors.

Having a diverse community at the university should be considered an advantage, said NIU President John Peters.

“In my first footsteps at NIU, it was a breath of fresh air,” he said. “It’s a great advantage and it will be even a greater advantage 10 to 30 years down the line.”

NIU draws minorities with its numerous resources and academic support programs — such as ACCESS, a student tutoring and counseling service, and CHANCE, a program that allows students who don’t meet NIU admittance requirements to come to college, said Admasu Zike, assistant provost for academic support services.

“We have done a lot more recruiting and student visits,” Zike said. “It’s a part of our mission to have diversity.”

NIU also is attractive to minorities because it has excellent programs and it is well-known to be affordable, Zike said.

“[Money] is an important issue for minorities,” Zike said. “Our financial aid office is able to help those who need it.”

NIU’s centers, such as the Center for Latinos and Latin American Studies, University Resources for Latinos and the Center for Black Studies, also are good resources for minorities.

NIU also placed on lists of Asian-American graduates with doctorate’s in education (4), master’s in mathematics (12), education (30), business management and administrative services (38), computer and information science (43) and English (46). The African-American lists also include NIU in master’s in English (3), doctorates in education (24) and English (25).

The university also was on the list for Hispanic graduates in English (28) and American Indian graduates in education (37).

Zike hopes to continue NIU’s reputation of being a top school for minorities by continuing to do what they have been doing.

“We should go out of our way to be receptive,” Peters said. “Always try meeting people from different cultures.”