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For the seventh straight year, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) has been ranked as the most ethnically diverse Southern regional college, according to the 2021 U.S. News & World Report (USN&WR) magazine college and university rankings, released today.

“GGC is proud to offer a vibrant environment where our diverse student body learns and grows within a campus community respectful of different ethnicities, cultures and beliefs,” said Dr. Jann L. Joseph, president. “Diversity defines a key strength of the Gwinnett community and Atlanta region.”

The ranking was based on data reported from the college’s fall 2019 semester. With 12,831 students, the ethnic composition of GGC’s student body was 32% black/African-American, 28% white, 24% Hispanic, 11% Asian, 4% multi-ethnic and less than one percent each for Native American, Pacific Islander and unknown. While 76 percent of students came from Gwinnett County in the fall of 2019, others came from 32 U.S. states and 120 countries.

In addition to being recognized for its diversity, GGC also ranked as the fourth most innovative school among regional colleges in the South. USN&WR ranks schools in this category which have made innovative approaches to curriculum, faculty, students, campus life, technology or facilities.

“These rankings further confirm that GGC’s innovative teaching model is having an impact on the success of our students,” said Joseph. “Our integrated educational experience has been a part of the college since the beginning.”

GGC also ranked in the top 20 public schools category among regional colleges in the South and earned recognition for its economic diversity, as a top performer on social mobility and its low student debt load at graduation. While GGC ranked at 66 among regional colleges in the 12-state southern region, it ranked #6 in Georgia among University System of Georgia-participating colleges.