Howard claims top rank in black doctoral grads WASHINGTON (AP) (wesm) - Howard University in Washington is claiming a top ranking for colleges producing black doctoral graduates in science and engineering.

The school announced the ranking Thursday, based on an August report from the National Science Foundation.

Howard had 224 black doctoral graduates from 1997 to 2006. Spelman College followed with 150, and Hampton University was third with 135.

Historically black colleges and universities claimed eight of the top 10 spots. The University of Maryland at College Park ranked 10th with 72 black doctoral recipients.

The report also ranked the numbers of black doctoral graduates per 1,000 bachelor's degrees awarded nine years earlier. Researchers wanted to examine the role of black colleges in fostering opportunities for their students. By that ranking, only five of the top 50 schools were historically black colleges and universities, and Howard fell off the top-50 list.

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