In the December 2022 edition of the magazine Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College is listed in the Top 100 Associate Degree Producers in three categories: No. 10 in the nation for Top 100 Total Minorities awarded associate degrees in Engineering, No. 35 in the nation for Top 100 African Americans awarded associate degrees, and No. 37 in the nation for Top 100 Total Minorities awarded associate degrees in Health Professions and Related Programs.

“Being named to the Top Associate Degree Producers for minority students for the second year demonstrates how important it is at MGCCC to provide opportunities for success to everyone in South Mississippi,” said Dr. Mary S. Graham, MGCCC president.  “We are pleased that we can tell our alumni and current and future students about the great strides we have made in offering not only affordable and quality education but one that is equitable as well.”

For several years, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education has produced the Top 100 Degree Producers rankings of the institutions that confer the most degrees to minority students. Information on the rankings comes from the “Completions Survey” of the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics. Institutions who distribute the federal Title IV financial assistance are required to complete the IPEDS survey, creating a census for degrees awarded within those institutions.

Diverse magazine sets the standard for reporting on diversity, access, and opportunity for all in higher education. Released monthly, it provides relevant news and information on higher education issues with a unique perspective. Diverse is the most widely read trade magazine for and about underrepresented groups in higher education.