2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States
If you're seeking a diverse and multi-faceted college experience, you've come to the right place. The following rankings were designed specifically to help students discover the United States schools that value diversity.
We analyzed 3,514 colleges and universities across the United States to determine which were the most diverse. Overall diversity was determined by considering these four factors of the student body: racial/ethnic background, geographic representation, male to female ratio, and age.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
Customizing Your List
To further customize your search, try narrowing your list by location. You can also check out rankings for racial-ethnic diversity, male/female diversity, or geographic diversity. Or explore other college rankings that prioritize different factors.
One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head!
Most Diverse Colleges in the United States
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Yale University to be the most diverse school in the United States in this year’s ranking. This fairly large , private not-for-profit school is located in New Haven, Connecticut, and it awarded 1,664 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
About 12.87% of the students are international. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Yale is $83,200 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good (and diverse) company if you decide to attend Stanford University. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Stanford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Stanford, California. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 1,892 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
12.26% of the students come from out of the country. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $94,000 during the early years of their career.
A rank of #3 on our Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list means Swarthmore College is a great place for students who value diversity. Swarthmore College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania that handed out 545 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 11.81% of the student body. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $56,700 during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good (and diverse) company if you decide to attend Johns Hopkins University. It ranked #4 on our 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Johns Hopkins is located in Baltimore, Maryland and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,747 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
There is high student age diversity at this school with about 32% falling into the traditional age range. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins is $73,200 during the early years of their career.
Out of the 3,514 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s diversity ranking, Harvard University landed the #5 spot on the list. Harvard is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It awarded 2,902 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 11.63% of the student body. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Harvard go into careers with an average salary of $89,700.
With a ranking of #6, Dartmouth College did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Located in Hanover, New Hampshire, the medium-sized , private not-for-profit school handed out 1,249 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth go into careers with an average salary of $75,500.
With a ranking of #7, Massachusetts Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the fairly large , private not-for-profit school awarded 1,333 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 11.17% of the student body. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $104,700 during the early years of their career.
Amherst College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Amherst, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 705 students in 2018-2019.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Amherst is $65,000 during the early years of their career.
If you crave a diverse college experience, UChicago, coming in at #9 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,024 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
This school has a higher percentage than average of non-traditional aged students. Only 43% of the students fall into a traditional age range, adding to the overall diversity score. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UChicago is $68,100 during the early years of their career.
Coming in at #10 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 2,280 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $69,000 during the early years of their career.
If you crave a diverse college experience, Columbia, coming in at #11 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. Columbia is a large private not-for-profit school situated in New York, New York. It awarded 2,702 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
About 19.68% of the students are international. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Columbia is $83,300 during the early years of their career.
Read full report on Columbia University in the City of New York
Coming in at #12 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Pomona. Located in Claremont, California, the small , private not-for-profit school handed out 449 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
About 20.19% of the students are international. During the early years of their career, graduates from Pomona make an average of $58,100 a year.
With a ranking of #13, Brown University did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Providence, Rhode Island is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,097 students in 2018-2019.
About 14.18% of the students are international. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Brown is $67,500 during the early years of their career.
If you crave a diverse college experience, Princeton, coming in at #14 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. Located in Princeton, New Jersey, the medium-sized , private not-for-profit school awarded 1,297 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
13.33% of the students come from out of the country. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $74,700 during the early years of their career.
Carnegie Mellon University landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. This fairly large , private not-for-profit school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,848 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 19.39% of the student body. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $83,600 during the early years of their career.
Duke University did quite well in the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #16. Duke is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Durham, North Carolina. It awarded 2,303 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
There is high student age diversity at this school with about 48% falling into the traditional age range. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Duke make an average of $84,400 per year during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #17, University of Pennsylvania did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large , private not-for-profit school awarded 3,632 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
12.67% of the students come from out of the country. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UPenn go into careers with an average salary of $85,900.
University of Southern California came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. USC is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Los Angeles, California. It awarded 5,337 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
15.19% of the students come from out of the country. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $74,000 during the early years of their career.
Northwestern University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Northwestern U is located in Evanston, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,770 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
This school has a higher percentage than average of non-traditional aged students. Only 42% of the students fall into a traditional age range, adding to the overall diversity score. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $69,000 during the early years of their career.
Coming in at #20 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is WUSTL. This fairly large , private not-for-profit school is located in Saint Louis, Missouri, and it awarded 2,407 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
This school has a higher percentage than average of non-traditional aged students. Only 52% of the students fall into a traditional age range, adding to the overall diversity score. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from WUSTL is $70,100 during the early years of their career.
Cornell University did quite well in the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #21. Cornell is located in Ithaca, New York and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 4,145 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
11.04% of the students come from out of the country. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Cornell make an average of $77,200 per year during the early years of their career.
If you crave a diverse college experience, Academy of Art University, coming in at #22 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. Located in San Francisco, California, the medium-sized , private for-profit school handed out 965 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Roughly 32% of the students fall into a traditional age range, meaning this school has higher than average age diversity. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Academy of Art University make an average of $38,600 per year during the early years of their career.
Coming in at #23 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Grantham University. This medium-sized , private for-profit school is located in Lenexa, Kansas, and it awarded 655 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
This school has a higher percentage than average of non-traditional aged students. Only 7% of the students fall into a traditional age range, adding to the overall diversity score.
If you crave a diverse college experience, Central Texas College, coming in at #24 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. Located in Killeen, Texas, Central Texas College is a fairly large public school.
During the early years of their career, graduates from Central Texas College make an average of $31,000 a year.
Williams College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, the small , private not-for-profit school handed out 718 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Williams go into careers with an average salary of $59,000.
Rest of the Top 50 Most Diverse Schools in the United States
Not only did these schools make the top most-diverse list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:
Narrow Colleges by Region
Rest of the Top 15% Most Diverse Schools in the United States
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | Boston University | Boston, MA |
| 52 | Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA |
| 53 | Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA |
| 54 | Emory University | Atlanta, GA |
| 55 | Reed College | Portland, OR |
| 56 | Fort Lewis College | Durango, CO |
| 57 | SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary | El Dorado Hills, CA |
| 58 | University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN |
| 59 | Wesleyan University | Middletown, CT |
| 60 | New Hope Christian College | Eugene, OR |
| 61 | Berklee College of Music | Boston, MA |
| 62 | Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT |
| 63 | Abraham Lincoln University | Los Angeles, CA |
| 64 | Bryan University | Tempe, AZ |
| 65 | California Institute of Technology | Pasadena, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 516 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, IA |
| 517 | Roger Williams University | Bristol, RI |
| 518 | Point University | West Point, GA |
| 519 | Montana State University | Bozeman, MT |
| 520 | Principia College | Elsah, IL |
| 521 | Wichita Technical Institute | Wichita, KS |
| 522 | Purchase College | Purchase, NY |
| 523 | Avila University | Kansas City, MO |
| 524 | Shoreline Community College | Shoreline, WA |
| 525 | Franklin Pierce University | Rindge, NH |
| 526 | Greenville University | Greenville, IL |
| 527 | Covenant College | Lookout Mountain, GA |
Honorable Mentions
These schools also performed well in our Most Diverse Colleges ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 528 | Chabot College | Hayward, CA |
| 529 | West Virginia University | Morgantown, WV |
| 530 | Kapiolani Community College | Honolulu, HI |
| 531 | Grace College of Divinity | Fayetteville, NC |
| 532 | Goucher College | Baltimore, MD |
| 533 | Columbia International University | Columbia, SC |
| 534 | Trinity Bible College and Graduate School | Ellendale, ND |
| 535 | Finlandia University | Hancock, MI |
| 536 | Ursinus College | Collegeville, PA |
| 537 | Bluefield College | Bluefield, VA |
| 538 | Ohio Valley University | Vienna, WV |
| 539 | Hastings College | Hastings, NE |
| 540 | Azusa Pacific University | Azusa, CA |
| 541 | University of Washington - Bothell Campus | Bothell, WA |
| 542 | College of the Siskiyous | Weed, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 543 | Franciscan University of Steubenville | Steubenville, OH |
| 544 | Cairn University | Langhorne, PA |
| 545 | Western Michigan University | Kalamazoo, MI |
| 546 | Wheeling Jesuit University | Wheeling, WV |
| 547 | California Baptist University | Riverside, CA |
| 548 | Auburn University | Auburn, AL |
| 549 | Wave Leadership College | Virginia Beach, VA |
| 550 | Boise State University | Boise, ID |
| 551 | Manhattan College | Riverdale, NY |
| 552 | Fort Scott Community College | Fort Scott, KS |
| 553 | Tiffin University | Tiffin, OH |
| 554 | Kansas Wesleyan University | Salina, KS |
| 555 | Alfred University | Alfred, NY |
| 556 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
| 557 | International Sports Sciences Association | Carpinteria, CA |
| 558 | California State Polytechnic University - Pomona | Pomona, CA |
| 559 | University of Missouri - Columbia | Columbia, MO |
| 560 | The University of Tennessee - Knoxville | Knoxville, TN |
| 561 | Skyline College | San Bruno, CA |
| 562 | Rider University | Lawrenceville, NJ |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 563 | Calvary University | Kansas City, MO |
| 564 | College of San Mateo | San Mateo, CA |
| 565 | Monmouth College | Monmouth, IL |
| 566 | Baptist Bible College | Springfield, MO |
| 567 | Albion College | Albion, MI |
| 568 | McKendree University | Lebanon, IL |
| 569 | Furman University | Greenville, SC |
| 570 | Barton County Community College | Great Bend, KS |
| 571 | Oglethorpe University | Atlanta, GA |
| 572 | University of Delaware | Newark, DE |
| 573 | University of North Dakota | Grand Forks, ND |
| 574 | University of Dayton | Dayton, OH |
| 575 | Northpoint Bible College | Haverhill, MA |
| 576 | Sarah Lawrence College | Bronxville, NY |
| 577 | University of Georgia | Athens, GA |
| 578 | University of Louisville | Louisville, KY |
| 579 | Pratt Community College | Pratt, KS |
| 580 | University of Kentucky | Lexington, KY |
| 581 | Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College | Miami, OK |
| 582 | The King’s College | New York, NY |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 583 | Bethel College - North Newton | North Newton, KS |
| 584 | Centenary College of Louisiana | Shreveport, LA |
| 585 | North Central University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 586 | American International College | Springfield, MA |
| 587 | Maranatha Baptist University | Watertown, WI |
| 588 | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC |
| 589 | CUNY City College | New York, NY |
| 590 | College of the Redwoods | Eureka, CA |
| 591 | Millsaps College | Jackson, MS |
| 592 | La Salle University | Philadelphia, PA |
| 593 | DeVry University - Florida | Miramar, FL |
| 594 | Minneapolis Community and Technical College | Minneapolis, MN |
| 595 | Middle Georgia State University | Macon, GA |
| 596 | Tarrant County College District | Fort Worth, TX |
| 597 | Western Washington University | Bellingham, WA |
| 598 | Oklahoma Wesleyan University | Bartlesville, OK |
| 599 | Hesston College | Hesston, KS |
| 600 | The College of Idaho | Caldwell, ID |
| 601 | Albright College | Reading, PA |
| 602 | California State University - Sacramento | Sacramento, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 603 | Westmont College | Santa Barbara, CA |
| 604 | Coconino Community College | Flagstaff, AZ |
| 605 | Virginia Tech | Blacksburg, VA |
| 606 | Otero Junior College | La Junta, CO |
| 607 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington, IL |
| 608 | McDaniel College | Westminster, MD |
| 609 | Keiser University - Ft Lauderdale | Fort Lauderdale, FL |
| 610 | Tidewater Community College | Norfolk, VA |
| 611 | Morningside College | Sioux City, IA |
| 612 | Walla Walla Community College | Walla Walla, WA |
| 613 | Wheaton College Massachusetts | Norton, MA |
| 614 | Kentucky State University | Frankfort, KY |
| 615 | Feather River Community College District | Quincy, CA |
| 616 | Piedmont International University | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 617 | University of Nebraska - Lincoln | Lincoln, NE |
| 618 | Gordon College | Wenham, MA |
| 619 | Highline College | Des Moines, WA |
| 620 | University of Toledo | Toledo, OH |
| 621 | Brevard College | Brevard, NC |
| 622 | Northland College | Ashland, WI |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 623 | Arizona State University - Polytechnic | Mesa, AZ |
| 624 | Lake Erie College | Painesville, OH |
| 625 | Binghamton University | Vestal, NY |
| 626 | Goldey - Beacom College | Wilmington, DE |
| 627 | Saint Paul College | Saint Paul, MN |
| 628 | New Mexico State University - Main Campus | Las Cruces, NM |
| 629 | San Francisco State University | San Francisco, CA |
| 630 | Leeward Community College | Pearl City, HI |
| 631 | St. Thomas Aquinas College | Sparkill, NY |
| 632 | Green River College | Auburn, WA |
| 633 | Averett University | Danville, VA |
| 634 | LIU Post | Brookville, NY |
| 635 | Eastern New Mexico University - Main Campus | Portales, NM |
| 636 | Lake Tahoe Community College | South Lake Tahoe, CA |
| 637 | Alaska Pacific University | Anchorage, AK |
| 638 | Chaminade University of Honolulu | Honolulu, HI |
| 639 | International Baptist College and Seminary | Chandler, AZ |
| 640 | Northland Community and Technical College | Thief River Falls, MN |
| 641 | City College of San Francisco | San Francisco, CA |
| 642 | College of Southern Nevada | Las Vegas, NV |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 643 | Chowan University | Murfreesboro, NC |
| 644 | Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg | Middletown, PA |
| 645 | Southwestern College | Winfield, KS |
| 646 | Eastern Arizona College | Thatcher, AZ |
| 647 | University of Rhode Island | Kingston, RI |
| 648 | Becker College | Worcester, MA |
| 649 | Clarke University | Dubuque, IA |
| 650 | Pacific Lutheran University | Tacoma, WA |
| 651 | California State University - Northridge | Northridge, CA |
| 652 | University of Nebraska at Omaha | Omaha, NE |
| 653 | Linfield College - McMinnville Campus | McMinnville, OR |
| 654 | Southern Illinois University Carbondale | Carbondale, IL |
| 655 | Middle Tennessee State University | Murfreesboro, TN |
| 656 | Fayetteville Technical Community College | Fayetteville, NC |
| 657 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 658 | The University of Montana | Missoula, MT |
| 659 | Capella University | Minneapolis, MN |
| 660 | MidAmerica Nazarene University | Olathe, KS |
| 661 | Coker College | Hartsville, SC |
| 662 | Oklahoma City University | Oklahoma City, OK |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 663 | Fairleigh Dickinson University - Metropolitan Campus | Teaneck, NJ |
| 664 | Point Loma Nazarene University | San Diego, CA |
| 665 | Presentation College | Aberdeen, SD |
| 666 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
| 667 | University of Cincinnati - Main Campus | Cincinnati, OH |
| 668 | North Carolina State University | Raleigh, NC |
| 669 | Hiram College | Hiram, OH |
| 670 | The Art Institute of Dallas | Dallas, TX |
| 671 | Trinity College of Florida | Trinity, FL |
| 672 | Vista College | El Paso, TX |
| 673 | Tallahassee Community College | Tallahassee, FL |
| 674 | Cedarville University | Cedarville, OH |
| 675 | Metropolitan State University of Denver | Denver, CO |
| 676 | Manhattanville College | Purchase, NY |
| 677 | Saint Michael’s College | Colchester, VT |
| 678 | Utah Valley University | Orem, UT |
| 679 | St Lawrence University | Canton, NY |
| 680 | Marist College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 681 | New Saint Andrews College | Moscow, ID |
| 682 | La Sierra University | Riverside, CA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 683 | Southern Oregon University | Ashland, OR |
| 684 | Friends University | Wichita, KS |
| 685 | Austin Community College District | Austin, TX |
| 686 | George Fox University | Newberg, OR |
| 687 | University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, CT |
| 688 | University of Massachusetts - Dartmouth | North Dartmouth, MA |
| 689 | Limestone College | Gaffney, SC |
| 690 | Johnson & Wales University - Charlotte | Charlotte, NC |
| 691 | Southern California Institute of Architecture | Los Angeles, CA |
| 692 | Emmanuel College Georgia | Franklin Springs, GA |
| 693 | Renton Technical College | Renton, WA |
| 694 | Greensboro College | Greensboro, NC |
| 695 | Rutgers University - Newark | Newark, NJ |
| 696 | Worcester Polytechnic Institute | Worcester, MA |
| 697 | Saint Ambrose University | Davenport, IA |
| 698 | Humboldt State University | Arcata, CA |
| 699 | Utah State University | Logan, UT |
| 700 | MacMurray College | Jacksonville, IL |
| 701 | Belmont University | Nashville, TN |
| 702 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 703 | Point Park University | Pittsburgh, PA |
More Nationwide Rankings
Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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