The University of North Carolina at Pembroke remains a national leader for producing American Indian graduates, according to a study released in June by Diverse magazine.

UNCP ranked sixth among all U.S. colleges and universities with 158 American Indian graduates for 2006-07.

The university is No. 1 in the nation for turning out physical science majors and No. 3 in biology, area, ethnic, cultural, and gender studies and health professions among American Indian graduates, according to the Diverse report titled "Top 100 Undergraduate Degree Producers."

"These numbers reflect the commitment the university has made to American Indians, especially the Lumbee and other regional tribes," said Chancellor Allen C. Meadors. "The new four-year nursing program has strengthened our claim to producing high numbers of American Indian graduates who enter training in health-care professions.

"We know from experience that a high percentage of doctors, dentists and other health professionals who graduate from UNCP return here to practice and improve the quality of life for the entire region."

In 2007-08, four UNCP American Indian graduates were accepted to medical schools, two American Indian graduates to dentistry schools and two American Indian graduates to physician assistant programs. Bryan Howington, an American Indian, earned a full scholarship to East Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine.

UNCP's rankings in the annual survey showed improvement overall and in some academic areas. For all graduates, the university moved up two places from last year to sixth place.

The largest gain was registered in physical science graduates, which more than doubled from 2005-06. Education graduates showed a gain of almost 10 percent.

The University also ranked high for American Indian graduates in: social sciences (No. 8); education (No. 13); business (No. 18); English (No. 18) and psychology (No. 20).

Diverse magazine compiles the rankings annually for institutions of higher education for all minority groups earning undergraduate degrees. It is important to note that the schools ranked above and immediately below UNCP in Diverse are larger institutions that have a much larger American Indian pool from which to draw students. UNCP also ranks first in the South for the diversity of its student body in U.S. News' annual survey.