New Mexico State University is a school for everyone and ranked well among its peers during several annual ranking lists published this summer. Aggies: you have chosen the right school.

"Diverse Issues in Higher Education" annually ranks universities and colleges that serve minority students. NMSU ranked 22nd in top degree-producers for Hispanic bachelor's degrees and was number 43 for American Indian bachelor's degrees. Overall, NMSU ranked 69th among post-secondary schools in awarding bachelor's degrees to minority students.

"These rankings show that we at NMSU are doing many things right in supporting our underrepresented minority students and assuring that they persist and graduate," said NMSU Executive Vice President and Provost Wendy K. Wilkins. "More exciting even than the overall numbers is the progress we have made since last year. When we analyze data for some particular majors and ethnic groups, we see significant increases in graduation numbers."

"Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education" ranked NMSU number 21 on its list of colleges awarding the most bachelor's degrees for Hispanics in 2011, and 19th among colleges awarding the most master's degrees to Hispanics in 2011. These rankings are in the top 20 and 25 percent, respectively, of both lists.

"It is not just underrepresented minority students who benefit from a diverse community - it's all students. We need to continue to develop an inclusive community, with a broad definition of, and commitment to, diversity," Wilkins said. "Studies have shown that diverse academic communities yield better student persistence rates and higher achievement, and better prepare students for the multicultural society they will be living in. Such diverse academic communities also produce citizens with higher levels of appreciation for cultural, ethnic and viewpoint differences."

The Forbes America's Top Colleges list ranks NMSU above the University of Texas at El Paso, coming in at 422 out of the 600 best colleges and universities in the nation; UTEP ranked 479 on the list. This ranking system is based on five categories: postgraduate success (32.5 percent), student satisfaction (27.5 percent), debt (17.5 percent), four-year graduation rate (11.25 percent) and competitive awards (11.25 percent).

To view the online rankings, please visit http://diverseeducation.com/top100/, http://www.hispanicoutlook.com/top-100-schools/ and http://www.forbes.com/top-colleges/list/.