2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States
Many college students wish to attend a diverse and inclusive institution. This is why College Factual developed its rankings for the Most Diverse Schools in the United States.
Our analysis looked at 3,514 schools in the United States to determine which ones 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.
Find out more about our ranking methodology.
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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.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. 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. New Haven, Connecticut is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,664 students in 2018-2019.
12.87% of the students come from out of the country. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Yale is $83,200 during the early years of their career.
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Out of the 3,514 schools in the United States that were part of this year’s diversity ranking, Stanford University landed the #2 spot on the list. Stanford is located in Stanford, California and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 1,892 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
A significant number of the students are international, about 12.26% of the student body. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Stanford is $94,000 during the early years of their career.
Full Stanford University Report
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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. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, the small , private not-for-profit school 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.
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The excellent diversity at Johns Hopkins University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the most diverse schools in the United States. This large , private not-for-profit school is located in Baltimore, Maryland, and it awarded 1,747 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
There is high student age diversity at this school with about 32% falling into the traditional age range. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $73,200 during the early years of their career.
Full Johns Hopkins University Report
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A rank of #5 on our Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list means Harvard University is a great place for students who value diversity. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the large , private not-for-profit school awarded 2,902 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
There is high student age diversity at this school with about 25% falling into the traditional age range. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Harvard make an average of $89,700 per year during the early years of their career.
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Dartmouth College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Dartmouth College is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Hanover, New Hampshire that handed out 1,249 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $75,500 during the early years of their career.
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If you crave a diverse college experience, MIT, coming in at #7 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. 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.
11.17% of the students come from out of the country. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from MIT go into careers with an average salary of $104,700.
Full Massachusetts Institute of Technology Report
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Coming in at #8 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Amherst. This small , private not-for-profit school is located in Amherst, Massachusetts, and it awarded 705 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Amherst go into careers with an average salary of $65,000.
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University of Chicago came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 2,024 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 15.02% of the student body. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UChicago go into careers with an average salary of $68,100.
Full University of Chicago Report
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Vanderbilt University landed the #10 spot on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Vanderbilt is located in Nashville, Tennessee and has a fairly large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 2,280 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $69,000 during the early years of their career.
Full Vanderbilt University Report
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Coming in at #11 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Columbia. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,702 students in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 19.68% of the student body. During the early years of their career, graduates from Columbia make an average of $83,300 a year.
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Pomona College did quite well in the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #12. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 449 students in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 20.19% of the student body. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $58,100 during the early years of their career.
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If you crave a diverse college experience, Brown, coming in at #13 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. Located in Providence, Rhode Island, the fairly large , private not-for-profit school handed out 2,097 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
14.18% of the students come from out of the country. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Brown make an average of $67,500 per year during the early years of their career.
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If you crave a diverse college experience, Princeton, coming in at #14 in our latest diversity ranking, could be the right place for you. Princeton, New Jersey is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,297 students in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 13.33% of the student body. During the early years of their career, graduates from Princeton make an average of $74,700 a year.
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Coming in at #15 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Carnegie Mellon. Carnegie Mellon is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,848 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
About 19.39% of the students are international. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $83,600 during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #16, Duke University did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Duke is a private not-for-profit institution located in Durham, North Carolina. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,303 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Roughly 48% of the students fall into a traditional age range, meaning this school has higher than average age diversity. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $84,400 during the early years of their career.
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University of Pennsylvania ranked #17 on this year’s Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has a large student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 3,632 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
A significant number of the students are international, about 12.67% of the student body. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UPenn is $85,900 during the early years of their career.
Full University of Pennsylvania Report
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University of Southern California landed the #18 spot on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Located in Los Angeles, California, the large , private not-for-profit school handed out 5,337 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
15.19% of the students come from out of the country. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from USC is $74,000 during the early years of their career.
Full University of Southern California Report
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With a ranking of #19, Northwestern University did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,770 students in 2018-2019.
There is high student age diversity at this school with about 42% falling into the traditional age range. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $69,000 during the early years of their career.
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Washington University in St Louis did quite well in the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Saint Louis, Missouri, the fairly large , private not-for-profit school awarded 2,407 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
Roughly 52% 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 WUSTL make an average of $70,100 per year during the early years of their career.
Full Washington University in St Louis Report
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Coming in at #21 for 2021 overall diversity in the United States is Cornell. Cornell is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Ithaca, New York. It awarded 4,145 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
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.
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Academy of Art University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Academy of Art University is a private for-profit institution located in San Francisco, California. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 965 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
A significant number of the students are international, about 24.06% of the student body. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Academy of Art University go into careers with an average salary of $38,600.
Full Academy of Art University Report
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Grantham University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Diverse Colleges in the United States ranking. Grantham University is a private for-profit institution located in Lenexa, Kansas. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 655 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
There is high student age diversity at this school with about 7% falling into the traditional age range.
Full Grantham University Report
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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. Central Texas College is a fairly large public school located in Killeen, Texas.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $31,000 during the early years of their career.
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With a ranking of #25, Williams College did quite well on the 2021 Most Diverse Colleges in the United States list. This small , private not-for-profit school is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and it awarded 718 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $59,000 during the early years of their career.
Request InformationRest 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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