UofL is the nation’s top university for serving the needs of African American students, according to a national study released Tuesday.

A report card from the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center named UofL as one of three universities tied with the highest score, a 3.5 on a 4-point scale. The other schools were the University of California-San Diego and Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.

Scores were based on the following factors:

• An institution’s percentage of black undergraduates and how that compares to the overall black population, ages 18 to 24, in that university’s home state
• Equity between the percentage of black men and women as it compares to the percentage of men and women across all racial and ethnic groups nationwide — about 56 percent women and 44 percent men
• The six-year graduation rate for black students as it compares to an institution’s overall graduation rate
• The ratio of black students to black full-time professors

UofL President Neeli Bendapudi said she is proud of the ranking. But she noted that the university is not standing still in its efforts to improve in all areas of diversity.

“Those kinds of recognitions tell students that if they come here they will be very, very welcome,” she said. “I also think it’s attractive to all students who want to come and be educated in a diverse environment that prepares them for the world of work.”