Harvard is one of the top 50 colleges for black students, according to a list released Monday by Black Enterprise magazine.

The list, which will be published in the magazine's January issue, touts the top 50 schools "where African Americans are most likely to succeed." Black Enterprise compiled the rankings, its first ever, after surveying 1,077 black professionals in higher education. Harvard ranked 28th.

Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III said he was not surprised to learn of Harvard's newest honor.

"The Harvard profile is, I've always thought, a pretty positive one, and we are grateful for the recognition," he said.

Director of the Harvard Foundation for Intercultural and Race Relations S. Allen Counter said he was proud that Harvard had made it on to the list but expressed hope that it would soon rise from its current position.

"I would like for us to be higher," Counter said. "We're working on that."

Spelman College in Atlanta was ranked first. Counter said he is pleased that Harvard was ranked among historically black colleges such as Spelman.

"Given the large number of colleges in our country and particularly the very fine traditionally black colleges, to be ranked high even among those colleges is a very good sign for Harvard," he said.

Columbia, 15th on the list, is the only Ivy League school to rank higher than Harvard. Counter said Columbia's setting in New York City is a possible reason for its high ranking.

The University of Pennsylvania and Yale are ranked 34th and 41st respectively. Cornell finishes out the Ivies on the list, ranking 50th.

Epps said Harvard's commitment to a diverse campus placed it on the list.

"I know that we have the largest number of black students in an Ivy League university, which begins to tell you about our commitment to including everyone of talent in the College," he said.

According to a study by the Journal for Blacks in Higher Education, Harvard has the highest percentage of black students enrolled among Ivy League schools.

Epps also noted what he called "low levels of racial tension" at the College. In a recent survey of the senior class, 80 percent of those polled had mixed-race friendship groups, Epps said.

Counter said that the Harvard Foundation has worked since 1981 to reduce the level of racial tension at the college.