Spelman College named nation's No. 1 HBCU for 20th consecutive year

Spelman College has once again been named the No. 1 historically Black college or university in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

It is the 20th consecutive year the Atlanta women's college has claimed the top spot in the publication's annual rankings. Spelman also ranked No. 2 for social mobility and rose three spots to No. 34 among National Liberal Arts Colleges.

Spelman is known for its STEM programs. The college says it is the nation's leading producer of Black women who earn Ph.D.s in science, technology, engineering and math.

In June, Spelman named artificial intelligence pioneer and former NASA engineer Ayanna Howard as its next president.

"Celebrating 20 consecutive years as the nation's No. 1 HBCU is both a tremendous honor and a meaningful reflection of Spelman College's enduring excellence and distinction," Howard said in a statement.

"Behind that metric are the remarkable students, faculty, staff and alumnae who have made this achievement possible," she added.

In recent years, Spelman has added majors and minors in documentary filmmaking, photography, data science, refugee studies and gaming. The college has also established collaborations focused on artificial intelligence and machine learning with organizations including the MIT Media Lab, the Broad Institute and the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.