Metro State is one of the nation's top colleges for awarding bachelor's degrees to Hispanic students, according to Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, a magazine dedicated to the issues Hispanics confront on college campuses

The college ranked 80th in a list of the country's top 100 higher education institutions in awarding the most bachelor's degrees to Hispanic students. In academic year 2001-02, Metro graduated 233 Hispanics out of a graduating class of 2,154. In addition, Metro ranked in the top 10 for the number of Hispanic students graduating with degrees in foreign languages.

"It's exciting," said David Conde, associate vice president for academic affairs. "Metro retains Latino students at a one percent higher rate than other students at the institution."

Conde suspects the influx of the immigrant community into the ranks of higher education is the reason for the retention rate. He has asked Arthur Campa, associate professor in anthropology and director of the College Assistance Migrant Program, to study the issue.

Hispanic Outlook has been identifying the top 100 colleges and universities in Hispanic graduates since 1995. That year, only seven colleges nationwide had granted 500 or more bachelor's degrees to Hispanics. In this year's ranking there are 30 institutions.

This year's top five on the list are Florida International University, the University of Texas-Pan American, California State University-Los Angeles, the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Texas-El Paso.