Duke named top university in Forbes employer diversity rankings

Whether in terms of academic prestige or men’s basketball, Duke has consistently landed near the top of national rankings, and the University can now add another accolade to that list.

According to a recent Forbes report, Duke is the eighth-best employer in terms of diversity and inclusion in the United States, a substantial leap after the University finished 43rd out of the 500 listed companies in 2018. Duke is the highest-rated employer involved primarily in education. Forbes’ ranking was based on individual employee records which indicated age, sex and race, among other factors. It also took into account the University’s diversity within administration and evaluations from peer institutions.

The second-highest education institution on the list is Kent State University, slotted 630th in Forbes’ overall college rankings but 13th in the diversity report. Harvard University rated 110th in diversity score, while Yale University and Princeton University both did not make the list. 

Hospitals associated with universities make a strong showing as well. Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center ranked fourth, while UCLA Health and Penn Medicine fall in at 21 and 22, respectively. 

Forbes has consistently lauded Duke in its annual summaries. In 2019, Forbes named Duke as the best school in the American South, the ninth-best research institution and among the top 30 general employers. Although the University was previously listed as 159th on Forbes Best Employers for Women list, Duke dropped off the rankings in 2019. 

In the past years, Duke has changed its protocol to become a more accommodating campus. For example, the University banned the box in 2018 and no longer mandates that applicants reveal a criminal past until the final stages of hiring.