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Colby College
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Colby College - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.46

Diversity

B
Where does this grade come from?View all Diversity rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 2%
Asian American 8%
Hispanic 3%
International 5%
Native American 1%
White 69%
Unknown 12%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 86%
Common States of Residence
  • Connecticut
  • Foreign countries
  • Massachusetts
  • New Hampshire
  • New York
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 0%
18-19: 42%
20-21: 47%
22-24: 11%
25+: 0%
Female Faculty 45%
Male Faculty 55%
Faculty Diversity African American: 2%
Asian American: 7%
Hispanic: 5%
International: 2%
Native American: 0%
White: 79%
Unknown: 5%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

There is a large population of international students, and minorities are very vocal. The campus is pretty polarized between the activist types and the non-political kids. The Foss/Mary Low side of campus tends to be more politically aware and diverse, or at least more aware of diversity. Social class has been a particular topic of concern lately; many people see Colby as very elitist. All diversity-related issues, though, are actively brought to light. There's been a Racial Awareness Week and a Social Class Awareness Week, both of which had featured lectures, discussions, and (most visibly) chalking on the pathways. There was even a minority sit-in in an attempt to raise awareness on campus. Though racial diversity is not where it should, there is a vast diversity of personalities, and there is no dominate personality type.

The campus is working very hard to create a more diverse atmosphere, and questions of diversity are brought up by vocal minorities and activists. This creates an intense atmosphere sometimes—discussions and demonstrations can feel pretty heated at times. But, continual efforts to introduce more diversity and alleviate tensions are definitely to be applauded.

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Colby Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at Colby College

pumpitup

'13

Art History

2.7
C+

Not That Much Diversity

They're are people of pretty much every ethnicity, religion, political belief and sexual orientation at Colby but they're not necessarily respected and are very much in the minority. As Colby does not offer any scholarships, most students tend to be white, upper middle class Americans from New England. However there are other kinds of students there, you just have to work harder to find them.

Dec 12, 2011

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Diversity at Colby College

nikki276

'10

Psychology

1.9
C-

No Diversity

Colby is mostly white, upper middle class, straight, and democrat, and most of all - extroverted! It is very unacceptable to fall into any minority, but especially to be someone who doesn't want to get involved with everything.

Jun 17, 2011

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Diversity at Colby College

lmkerr22

'12

International Studies

3.1
B-

Rich, White, and from 20 Minutes Outside of Boston

Colby really likes to pride itself on being diverse, and while there are some pretty fantastic, pretty "diverse" people, the truth is that there are more people who come from a very homogeneous, very privileged background. Some of these students are fantastic and humble about their upbringing, but the majority are fairly clueless and can't comprehend that some of us worry about finances, stick to a budget, pay our own tuition, and generally have to pull our own weight.

Nov 08, 2010

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Page 1 of 10

Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

How diverse is the student body in the following areas?

How diverse is your personal circle of friends in the following areas?

How accepting is the campus community as a whole toward someone who falls into the minority (ethnic, sexual, or religious)?

How would you best describe your personal political beliefs?

How would you best describe the political beliefs of campus as a whole?

Facts

Gay Pride

In general, the campus is very supportive of gay-rights issues.

Political Activity

Although many students identify themselves as left-leaning, there are conservatives on campus, too. There are also a handful of very vocal, very liberal activist-types who go to protests and organize campus events. Racial Awareness Week and Social Class Awareness Week were particularly notable events, as well as an extremely well-organized Diversity Conference. But, many students are politically inactive or keep their politics to a small social setting.

Economic Status

Most Colby students seem to come from very well-off backgrounds. Although the student body is economically diverse, these differences aren’t easy to see, which contributes to the (perhaps erroneous) perception of the school being entirely populated by rich, white New Englanders.

Most Common Religions

Most Colby students don’t publicly discuss religion, but there are campus groups for every variety possible. Colby Hillel hosts Shabbat every Friday night, while the Chapel hosts a Protestant and Catholic service on Sundays.

Minority Clubs on Campus

The Pugh Center, located in the student center building, houses many diversity-oriented clubs. Students Organized Against Racism (SOAR), Students Organized for Black and Hispanic Unity (SOBHU), The Bridge (gay-straight alliance), and religious groups are a few of the 20 or so clubs that have offices and safe spaces in the Pugh Center. Colby Conversations on Race (CCOR) has recently been added to the slew of minority-friendly clubs. The Pugh Community Board works to facilitate dialogue between these groups and bring speakers and events to campus.

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Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Colby

Name: Danny Garin

Hometown: Washington, DC

Major: Government and Economics

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