Joan Isaac Mohr
Vice President and Dean of Admissions
Quinnipiac University
You can measure a college’s diversity in comparison to others in similar settings and similar types of colleges. Colleges also look for geographic diversity (not all students coming from the same state or region of the country), economic diversity (looking for students who come from a variety of economic backgrounds, for instance, or measuring the percent of students who are PELL recipients, as determined on the FAFSA information), and the percent of students who are first generation college attendees in their families. These are all indicators of diversity as much as race, gender, and religion—which are major factors of diversity students often think of. Some colleges might specifically be less diverse to help boost a certain type of students, i.e. women’s colleges, Christian and Catholic universities, and HBCUs. With the exception of some women’s colleges, these types of schools don’t exclude other people, but rather prioritize these certain types of students during admission.
Looking for colleges that value diversity of any kind? Check out our featured diversity colleges lists you find your supportive community.