The 25 Most Diverse Schools

To rank colleges and universities by diversity, we took a broad view of related issues, including ethnicity, geographic origin,  economic status, gender,  and sexual orientation.  We looked at the percentage of the student body that was African-American, Hispanic, or Asian (note: historically black colleges and women's colleges were not considered for this ranking because they are diverse only in a limited sense); the percentage of students from out of state as well as the percentage from outside the U.S.; and the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants from the federal government, since these grants are targeted toward students from low-income families. As an indicator of tolerance of sexual  orientation, we relied on two lists of particularly "gay-friendly" campuses, one published by The Advocate and the other by InsideCollege.com.    
 
About the Rankings:  
Researchers Peter Bernstein and Courtney Kennedy drew dozens of sources to compile these rankings including information from the National Center for Education Statistics, The Washington Monthly, and College Prowler.  A portion of the data they used for this ranking is at the end of this slideshow, but for the full methodologies, see our FAQ here.  And if you're not a rankings fan, take a look at this piece by Colin Diver, the president of Reed College,  about why schools dislike rankings and how students can use them wisely as part of their college decision-making process.