The University of Texas at Arlington College of Nursing and Health Innovation has been ranked third in the nation and highest in Texas for the volume of minority nurses with bachelor's degrees it produces, according to a recent issue of Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

UT Arlington awarded 747 bachelor's degrees in nursing to students who identified themselves as Hispanic, African American or from another minority group, according to preliminary 2012-2013 statistics used in the magazine.

"UT Arlington has leveraged traditional campus programs as well as the latest in simulation and online technology to meet the critical demands of the health care industry in North Texas and beyond," said Anne Bavier, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Innovation. "We are proud that these strides have made it possible for a diverse group of students to reach their goals and achieve a career in health care."

The magazine's "Top Health Science Degree Producers" list is published annually. Victor M.H. Borden, a professor of educational leadership and policy studies at Indiana University Bloomington, compiled this year's research. It appeared in the Oct. 23 issue.

UT Arlington also came in at No. 21 on Diverse Issues in Higher Education's list of schools producing minority graduates with master's degrees in nursing. UT Arlington also is working to increase the ranks of minority students achieving their nursing Ph.D. Those efforts are aided by a $419,000 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant awarded to the College of Nursing in 2012.

The University of Texas at Arlington has the largest nursing program in Texas, with more than 2,000 students receiving bachelor's degrees and more than 200 receiving master's degrees during the 2012-2013 time period used in the study. The nursing program also is one of the most successful, with more than 90 percent of graduates who take their initial licensure exam succeeding on the first try.

To learn more about the College of Nursing and Health Innovation, visit www.uta.edu/nursing.