Top 20 Colleges for Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Master’s Students

• AAPI graduate student population: 17%
• AAPI graduation rate: 89%
• Institution type: Public

The flagship university of New Jersey’s state system, Rutgers University–New Brunswick is home to the Asian American Cultural Center, which aims to encourage an atmosphere of support and inclusivity for AAPI students through a range of social, cultural, and educational programs in all disciplines and degree levels. Examples include AAPI welcome parties at the start of the school year, an annual gala for graduating students, and a mentorship program. Further, graduate students at Rutgers all have access to the school’s extensive financial aid program through the School of Graduate Studies, where you will find over 200 graduate degree programs.

• AAPI graduate student population: 15%
• AAPI graduation rate: 86%
• Institution type: Public

The University of Washington is home to a substantial AAPI student population and has a variety of dedicatedresources for AAPI students. These include mental health resources, anti-discrimination initiatives, an annual AAPI Heritage Month program, and an Asian and Pacific Islander American Faculty and Staff Association. Master’s students at UW can apply for need- and merit-based scholarships and financial aid, including fellowships, grants, and assistantships. You’ll have approximately 230 master’s programs from which to choose, which include in-person, online, and hybrid degree programs.

• AAPI graduate student population: 32%
• AAPI graduation rate: 80%
• Institution type: Private for-profit

Nearly one-third of the student population at West Coast University belongs to AAPI communities at this school that specializes in nursing, healthcare, and related fields. WCU has multiple campuses — three of which, including their Center for Graduate Studies, are based in California — in addition to online degree offerings. If you’re looking to earn a master’s online from WCU, you can choose from among seven degree options, or you can choose between two on-campus master’s degree options. Regardless of your course of study or learning environment, you can access WCU’s financial aid that includes scholarships, grants, and fellowships.

• AAPI graduate student population: 10%
• AAPI graduation rate: 100%
• Institution type: Private for-profit

Chamberlain University is based in the Chicago area and specializes in nursing and healthcare fields. The school has a substantial AAPI student population with very high graduation rates. While Chamberlain is known for its nursing, healthcare, and public health degrees at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, it also offers abundant opportunities for online learning; 14 of the school’s 15 different master’s degree programs are available entirely online. Chamberlain also offers a variety of grants and scholarships for graduate students, with your eligibility varying by your field of study.

• AAPI graduate student population: 11%
• AAPI graduation rate: 92%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

Bentley University, a private university specializing in business and accounting degrees, has a substantial AAPI student population and boasts diversity and inclusion as one of its core values. To that end, the school has a variety of support structures in place for AAPI students at all degree levels, including the Bentley Asian Students’ Association and established anti-discrimination initiatives. Students studying toward one of Bentley’s five master’s degree options also benefit from generous financial aid packages — with the average full-time student being awarded over five figures in financial aid across all programs — and generous aid available for part-time students as well.

• AAPI graduate student population: 16%
• AAPI graduation rate: 96%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

USC, a prestigious private university, has a strong AAPI student presence. The school’s resources range from an Asian Pacific American Student Services Office to student-run organizations like the Asian Pacific Cinema Association. As a master’s student, you can join the Asian Pacific Graduate Student Association, run by and for USC AAPI graduate students in the school’s many graduate programs encompassing 100+ online master’s degrees. The school’s Asian Pacific Alumni Association also sponsors an annual scholarship open to graduate students, just one of the many funding opportunities you’ll be eligible for.

• AAPI graduate student population: 10%
• AAPI graduation rate: 96%
• Institution type: Public

The flagship of Michigan’s state university system, UM-Ann Arbor is home to a large AAPI student population with high graduation rates. Students at the school can benefit from a wide variety of AAPI student organizations and a dedicated AAPI alumni group that hosts both in-person and online events. With over 100 different graduate degree offerings, you’ll have plenty of options for your course of study. And when you enroll in your master’s, you’ll be eligible to apply for a variety of different forms of financial aid through your program, department, and university.

• AAPI graduate student population: 11%
• AAPI graduation rate: 85%
• Institution type: Public

Part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system, Stony Brook University strives to make its considerable AAPI student population feel included and safe, from AAPI anti-racist resources to an AAPI mentorship program that connects students with professionals. As a major research university, Stony Brook has an extensive array of master’s programs to choose from through its Graduate School. You’ll also be eligible to apply for financial aid, including a graduate tuition scholarship program that may provide full or partial funding.

• AAPI graduate student population: 14%
• AAPI graduation rate: 100%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

Located in Minneapolis, Herzing University is dedicated to diversity; as a reflection of this commitment, it’s one of the schools participating in NASA’s minority-serving institution (MSI) exchange program. In 2023, Herzing was awarded a $1.8 million Department of Education grant for its work as an AAPI-serving institution. As a grad student at Herzing, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue a variety of master’s degree programs in healthcare and business-related fields. Grad students may also be eligible for Herzing’s financial aid programs, which totaled over $17 million in aid awarded to students in 2023.

• AAPI graduate student population: 9%
• AAPI graduation rate: 100%
• Institution type: Private for-profit

Like its counterpart campuses in California and elsewhere, West Coast University–Texas is a for-profit school with a substantial AAPI population and high graduation rates. The school primarily offers nursing programs and other healthcare-related master’s degrees in its graduate studies division. However, it also has master’s programs in business, physician assistantship, and occupational therapy, with the occupational therapy master’s program available only at the Dallas and California campuses. Regardless of your field of study or campus of choice, you will be able to apply for financial aid online through WCU’s general financial aid portal.

• AAPI graduate student population: 3%
• AAPI graduation rate: 100%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

A fully online international university, the University of the People has a 100% graduation rate for AAPI graduate students. The innovative school is a leader in affordable online and distance education and a nationally accredited and internationally focused university with a partner institution in Scotland. The University of the People has no tuition fees; this means you will only need to pay for assessments or any equipment fees, but all teaching is offered free of charge. The school offers fully online master’s degrees in business administration, education, and IT aimed at flexible learning for working professionals of all different backgrounds.

• AAPI graduate student population: 30%
• AAPI graduation rate: 76%
• Institution type: Public

The University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is a federally designated AAPI-serving institution with a strong emphasis on the study and preservation of Native Hawaiian culture. Some of its programs, such as the TIDES program for AAPI students from local high schools aiming to attend UH Manoa, are designed to serve the populations from surrounding communities. Students choosing from dozens of master’s programs — depending partially on your field of study — are eligible to apply for a variety of fellowships and scholarships, from both the school itself and affiliated philanthropic organizations.

• AAPI graduate student population: 45%
• AAPI graduation rate: 67%
• Institution type: Private for-profit

A university with a main campus in Washington, DC, and satellite campuses in Virginia and Chicago, University of the Potomac’s DC campus has one of the largest AAPI graduate student populations of any school on this list: Almost half of its student population belongs to AAPI communities. University of the Potomac offers nine master’s degrees in STEM and STEM-related fields including IT, accounting, data analytics, and more. As a master’s student, you will be eligible to apply for school-sponsored financial aid, including a variety of grants and scholarships.

• AAPI graduate student population: 12%
• AAPI graduation rate: 89%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

A prestigious, highly competitive private university based in New York City, New York University is committed to engaging its AAPI student population. One example: the Pan Asian Student Alliance at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. Additionally, the school’s A/P/A Institute hosts regular events to bring together AAPI students, scholars, and community leaders. As NYU is a major research university, master’s students have a wide variety of potential fields of study, with close to 100 possible master’s degree options. Students also have access to the school’s extensive financial aid resources.

• AAPI graduate student population: 9%
• AAPI graduation rate: 92%
• Institution type: Public

Home of the Terrapins, UMD is the flagship of the Maryland public university system. With a notable AAPI grad student population and high AAPI graduation rates, UMD has diverse initiatives for AAPI students, including a variety of relevant student organizations and anti-racist initiatives. The school has hundreds of graduate programs on offer, meaning you’ll have your pick of courses to study for your master’s at UMD. Grad students at UMD are eligible to be considered for competitive grants and fellowships and are encouraged to apply for federal student aid.

• AAPI graduate student population: 7%
• AAPI graduation rate: 100%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

The University of the Cumberlands is a private Christian university based in Kentucky with notably high AAPI graduation rates. The school offers 27 professionally focused master’s degrees in fields like business, education, and tech, as well as a master’s program in ministry. Although Cumberland has a physical campus, the vast majority of its master’s programs are online for greater flexibility. Cumberland advertises its low tuition rates, which are charged per credit for graduate students, and you may also be eligible for financial aid through one of its programs.

• AAPI graduate student population: 19%
• AAPI graduation rate: 75%
• Institution type: Public

With nearly one-fifth of the graduate student population comprised of students from AAPI communities, Cal State Fullerton hosts both an Asian and Pacific American Resource Center through its Division of Human Resources, Diversity, and Inclusion, and an AAPI Faculty and Staff Association founded over 30 years ago. If you choose to pursue your master’s degree at Cal State Fullerton, you’ll be able to choose from more than 60 degree options, including both full-time and part-time study, and professional master’s programs through its extension program. You may also be eligible for a graduate fellowship, which is awarded based on need and merit.

• AAPI graduate student population: 13%
• AAPI graduation rate: 95%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

A highly competitive research university with a prestigious medical program based in Baltimore, Maryland, Johns Hopkins University has a substantial AAPI graduate student population with high graduation rates. Resources for AAPI graduate students include anti-harassment initiatives, such as supporting the Stop Asian Hate movement, as well as student organizations, such as the AAPI Nursing Students’ Association. Johns Hopkins boasts a variety of master’s programs, with particularly strong options in the health sciences. Master’s students are also eligible to apply for financial aid through your academic division.

• AAPI graduate student population: 15%
• AAPI graduation rate: 100%
• Institution type: Public

A private, regional school based in Louisiana and originally founded as an agricultural and technical college, Southern University at New Orleans has a particularly high graduation rate for its substantial number of AAPI graduate students. If you choose to pursue graduate study at SUNO, you will be able to choose from almost 20 master’s programs in fields ranging from agricultural science to educational leadership to nursing and health sciences. SUNO’s Office of Financial Aid can assist you in applying for federal and private aid if needed, as well as your potential package of school-sponsored aid.

• AAPI graduate student population: 17%
• AAPI graduation rate: 97%
• Institution type: Private not-for-profit

A member of the famous Ivy League and a highly competitive school, the University of Pennsylvania’s sizable AAPI student community, including both undergraduates and graduate students, can benefit from its Asian/Asian American Program Community and a variety of related student organizations. One of the oldest schools for professional education in the country, you will have a wide range of master’s programs from 12 colleges to consider at Penn. You may also benefit from graduate scholarships, as well as support from the graduate student division of its financial aid office.