Tuskegee Ranked No 1 HBCU, No 6 in AL for Salary Potential

College Choice has published its 2015 rankings of U.S. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Tuskegee University tops the list. The publication named the institution No. 1 among the nation’s top 25 HBCUs.

According to its website, “College Choice is an independent online publication dedicated to helping students and their families find the right college. We publish rankings and reviews that make choosing the best college easier, as well as resources to help students get into, pay for, and thrive at the college of their choice.”

“I was so very pleased to have learned of this No. 1 ranking in 2015 among HBCUs. It is an affirmation of both Tuskegee’s great tradition and its great trajectory,” said Dr. Brian L. Johnson, Tuskegee University president.

Online education and expanded academic programming and instruction are among the five strategic priorities in Johnson’s vision for the university. Tuskegee will launch the first of eight fully online accredited degree programs this fall.

The College Choice site said that the methodology for its rankings is based on a survey of deciding factors important to college freshmen such as academic reputation, financial aid offerings, overall cost, and success of graduates in the post-college job market. Tuskegee is one of only two Alabama institutions ranked and, with a score of 86, has the highest academic reputation of the 25 colleges/universities on the list.

Average starting salary $50,700

The data used came from several sources, including U.S. News & World Report, the National Center for Education Statistics, and PayScale.com.

This year, U.S. News and World Report, again ranked Tuskegee No. 5 among the nation’s historically black institutions and No. 6 for HBCUs that have the highest average freshman retention rates for first-year students. Tuskegee is also No. 9 among Southern region colleges.

In a listing of 19 Alabama institutions, PayScale.com ranked Tuskegee No. 6 for salary potential. In its 2014-2015 College Salary Report, the site said that the average starting salary for Tuskegee graduates was $50,700. At the mid-level career point, the average salary was 75,100 for degree holders of all types.

To find out more about the College Choice ranking, go to College Choice Top 25 HBCU Rankings

To find out more about Tuskegee’s ranking on PayScale.com, go to: http://www.payscale.com/research/US/School=Tuskegee_University/Salary