Login Register

McGill University
- Diversity

RT
Currently attending or alumni?
Review this school!
Are you interested
in this school?
Yes, let this school know
Maybe, bookmark for later
No, get better matches
Saving your decision
Yes
Maybe
No

We will attempt to notify this
school of your interest.

This school has been saved to your schools list.

This school has been removed from your recommended schools list.

For your next recommendation, check out .

Jump to a section:

Grade
Quick Stats
Student Author Overview
Student Reviews
Student Polls
Facts
Take A SurveyWrite A ReviewUpload A PhotoLink Up A VideoWrite The Guide
McGill University - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.62

Diversity

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

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

International 19%
Unknown 82%
Out-of-State Students 43%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

McGill has one of the highest international student populations of any university, somewhere around 18 percent. That said, a significant portion of that percentage is American students, which doesn’t help the diversity. Still, there are a lot of students from all over the world, and there are so many different languages and cultures represented. Even many of the Caucasian students hail from outside of North America or have lived and traveled around the world. The most represented minority is Asian, with many students coming from China, India, and all over the Middle East. Going to McGill, one comes in contact with so many different ways of doing things, and one comes to realize that each way is embedded in a specific culture.

Contrary to popular (American) belief, the population of Canada is not solely comprised of white lumberjacks. Canada has a huge immigrant population—in fact, it has the highest per capita rate of immigration in the world. However, despite having many international people of color, it seems that there is a slight lack of national people of color at the school. Race in Canada is a very different thing than race in the United States. The McGill application does not even ask for the race of the applicant, indicating a very different approach to Affirmative Action. This does not mean that ethnic tensions do not exist in Canada, nor does it mean that Canadians deny that they exist. They just go about things differently. When it comes down to it, McGill, like Montréal, is exceptionally diverse and exudes a very international atmosphere.

See how you stack up against students who were accepted to this school . . .And calculate your chances!Register to get started

McGill Student ReviewsWhat's This?

Sort by:

Loading...

Diversity at McGill University

maxblum

Physiology '15

5.0
A+

Super Diverse

You will meet people from all over the world. 20% of students come from outside of Canada!

May 07, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Diversity at McGill University

hungryhungruhungry

Biology '13

5.0
A+

Wow

So many students from around the world! So many speak 2 languages or more.

Mar 09, 2012

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Diversity at McGill University

mcgill2014

Political Science and Government '14

5.0
A+

Very Diverse

Because it's an international school, people come from all over the world. While the stats say over 70% are from within Canada, many of those are Canadian immigrants and the amount of students from other places in the world is astounding. I've heard that the largest student society at McGill is the Pakistani one and it wouldn't surprise me at all, international students definitely don't stand alone. In residences (namely New Rez) it seems like Canadian students are almost in a minority to American and international students. If you're looking for a diverse experience, McGill is definitely a good place to find one.

Jan 31, 2011

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate
Page 1 of 5
User rating for McGill University - Diversity is 4.6 out of 5 based on 15 user reviews.

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

Queer McGill is an organization very active in promoting its hotline and services for the GLBTQ population of McGill. They have posters up all over campus, and they host many different events, activities, and lectures. McGill is a fairly liberal school with liberal administration, and Montréal is a very liberal city. The university population is overall very accepting, and issues of gender and sexuality always seem to find their way into class discussion.

Political Activity

In part due to the high number of international students, students at McGill are hyper aware of the world around them. For this reason, there is a great amount of political activity on campus. Though politics are generally left-leaning, there is still a diversity of opinions represented on campus, and controversy occasionally ensues. Lately, extremely controversial issues have flared up on campus, with such questions as whether to condemn Israel or admit a pro-life group official club status. McGill students are always looking to make a point, whether to have their voices heard or simply beef up their résumés.

Economic Status

International students tend to be much wealthier than Canadian or Québec students. There is definitely a “rich American” stereotype. The wealthy kids with trendy clothes are the most visible economic class, but this is probably because they are the flashiest. Talking to some of the Québec residents who make up about half of the population, one will find many who pay for school themselves or live with their parents to save money. Québec tuition is very cheap, so not only the elite can afford it. In general, since McGill is a public university, the student body is pretty well-rounded when it comes to economic status.

Most Common Religions

Christianity is the dominant religion at McGill, but the most visible religious groups are probably Islamic and Jewish. There is an interfaith publication called Radix, and many clubs for various faiths. These clubs host holiday parties and help students find places of worship. They occasionally hold lectures or discussions on campus, but most religious practice is private.

Minority Clubs on Campus

McGill's clubs read like a U.N. attendance record, with a club for practically every country. Since the international population is high, minority status is not lumped into “Middle Eastern” or “Asian,” but often in terms of specific nations.

Did You Know?
  • Only about 50 percent of students identify English as their mother tongue, and nearly 30 percent report that their first language is neither French nor English.
  • American students make up only about 7 percent of the total student population.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Kelly Baker
Hometown
Weston, CT
Major
Sociology

College Prowler is seeking talented student authors to assist with writing and updating the College Prowler guides to their schools. This is a great opportunity for a student to gain experience and tremendous exposure, utilize new media techniques, and share advice with high school students about what life is really like at your college.

Buy the eBook "McGill University 2012: Off The Record"
AmazonBarnes & NobleGoogleSmashwords
Download a FREE Printable Summary (PDF)

Find a college

Find a major

Scholarships

Reviews

Search College Prowler

Company

How do we get our information? Find out here or report an error here. The statistics on our site are from the National Center for Education Statistics IPEDS database.
We update this information twice annually, most recently in May 2012, but it may not be the most recent information available for a particular school.
For additional information we encourage you to visit school websites or contact the schools directly.