Hispanic Magazine has recognized Tufts as one of the top ten universities for Latino students in its March issue, pointing to qualities such as "academic excellence and Hispanic achievement."
Latino students comprise eight percent of Tufts' undergraduates, the fifth highest Hispanic concentration of the universities surveyed.
Tufts ranked tenth out of 25 schools, which also included the University of Notre Dame, Harvard University, MIT, and Columbia University.
Stanford University was named the best university for Latinos.
The rankings were based on a combination of sources, including university data, Hispanic scholarship organizations, and U.S. News and World Report's America's Best Colleges issue.
"We looked for superior centers of higher learning where Hispanic students are thriving," the magazine read.
Administrators were pleased with the tenth-place national ranking, and hope that the result can be used to Tufts' advantage. "Being listed in a publication that ranks us highly as a good place for Latino students sends a really strong message," Associate Director of Admissions Darryl Tiggle said.
Tiggle cited the high percentage of Latino students at Tufts, the existence of a cultural house and center, and other on-campus organizations as factors that give Tufts its good standing amongst Hispanics.
"When an independent source supports and markets that reputation for us, it really spreads the word," he said.
The admissions office has increased its minority recruitment efforts through establishing connections with academic programs such as the National Hispanic Institute and One Voice.
Student volunteers have organized programs for prospective Hispanic students and searched databases to contact exceptional Latino students.
Latino Center Director Ruben Salinas-Stern was careful to note that the new ranking does not mean the situation on campus is perfect.
"There are some retention issues," he said. Hispanics "don't all thrive... they face particular pressures that other students don't."
Salinas-Stern said that many Hispanic students receive work-study aid, and are often the first member of their families to go to college.
An interview process with unsatisfied Latino students leaving the University would be a good step to better understand how Tufts could improve its Hispanic retention, Salinas Stern said. "It would give us a better handle on what is happening," he said.
Salinas-Stern said Tufts is headed in the right direction academically, though, with its incorporation of more Latino studies into the curriculum. "We put together a push to have Latino studies, bring speakers to campus, and have workshops for faculty," he said.
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