You’re probably reading the title and thinking, “I already know what diversity is!” While that may be true, prospective college students don’t necessarily grasp the full meaning of diversity in college. Many people see diversity and automatically think of race, but diversity goes beyond race and is more impactful than just a way to describe the student body. Some students may not consider diversity in their college decisions at all. But you should! Diversity brings new opportunities to your college experience, whether it's in the classroom, an extracurricular club or organization, or your dorms. Additionally, it shows that your school is committed to equality in education and eliminating the disparities seen in higher education.
Diversity means change
College can be very different from your high school experience, especially if the student bodies between your two schools differ greatly. Perhaps you went to a single-sex high school, and now you’re at a coed college; or maybe the town where you went to public school is predominantly a certain race, religion, etc. The change you may encounter in college is nothing to be nervous about; if anything, be excited and embrace it. You’ll meet people from another side of the racial, political, socioeconomic, or ethnic spectrum. You’ll learn how people with different backgrounds, ideas, and beliefs work, play, live, and co-exist. Being a part of a diverse campus shapes an individual as well. As a student at , a very diverse school in Massachusetts’s capital, my school definitely changed how I look at life because of the diversity I saw, heard, worked with, and learned from. It’s a positive experience to see all of the different types of people on one college campus.
Related: 3 Ways a Diverse Community Impacts You in College
Diversity means expanding
Expanding your horizons is what college is supposed to do. You learn new things, develop different insights about life, and interact with new people and new experiences—all of which would happen differently if you were at another school. Diverse schools mean expanding your experiences with the world at large. Maybe having a roommate from Kenya will show you different cultural ways of life, or being in a group project with a Buddhist will show you how their work ethic may differ from yours. Whatever you learn, your on-campus experiences are expanding your knowledge about the world, which is something no textbook can teach.
Diversity means tolerance
Because going to a diverse school may bring about people, experiences, events, and other things you may not be used to, you’ll come to learn how to deal with differing views, beliefs, and ways of life. I’m not saying you have to become a different person and change your entire belief system; I simply mean that dealing with all of these adjustments will allow you to grow and understand people with different ideas than you. You’ll become more patient, accepting, and considerate of those with different backgrounds than you. During my sophomore year, I wrote about having a suitemate from China. This was an experience from which I learned patience, thanks to our efforts in adapting when it came to communication.
Related: 5 Good Questions to Evaluate Diversity in a College
Whatever school you wind up at, you’ll see diversity of some kind, from race to religion to personal identity. But if you’re still continuing your college search, pay attention to the way schools discuss diversity, ask questions about it, and learn about how colleges show support. It’s something that will teach you a lot and will shape your college experience!
Get searching for colleges and universities that value and support students of all backgrounds with our featured diversity colleges lists.
