The Color of College

A completely non-scientific survey of the racial composition of “elite” versus “non-elite” private colleges and universities. “Elite” colleges measured were Amherst, Brown, Carleton, Chicago, Duke, Harvard, Pomona, Stanford, Swarthmore, Williams, and Yale. The “Non-elites” were Allegheny, Beloit, Bennington, Boston University, Drexel, Goucher, Seton Hall, St. Olaf, Tulsa, Villanova, and Wake Forest. All fine schools, mind you — just not the absolute highest of the high.

By and large, the data showed that elite schools were far more diverse — even excluding Asians — from their more mainstream peers. The gap was particularly noticeable in smaller schools, but it was still significant across the board.