Washington University in St. Louis was ranked 12th among hundreds of large and midsized companies on Forbes’ fourth annual list of “America’s Best Employers For Diversity.”
The rankings are compiled based on data from market research company Statista’s anonymous surveys of 50,000 people working at companies with 1,000 or more employees. Respondents rated their organizations based on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability and sexual orientation equality as well as general diversity. The final rankings include those that were most recommended and also have diverse boards and executives and pro-active diversity and inclusion initiatives.
The university was the top-ranked such employer in Missouri and is the third-oldest organization among the top 20.
“The Forbes ranking is a welcome recognition of the progress we’ve made in our diversity, equity and inclusion work,” said Henry S. Webber, executive vice chancellor for civic affairs and strategic planning. “We are eager to build on this momentum as we continue our efforts to ensure all our employees feel like valued members of the university community.”