Northwestern University
- Diversity

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Diversity is a touchy subject at NU. Many people you talk to will bring up the plethora of Asian and Indian students on campus when citing diversity, and Northwestern students also come from 30 countries outside of the U.S., as well as all 50 states. But when it comes to African Americans and Hispanics, the University is decidedly lacking. That's not to say that Northwestern students are lacking in acceptance (for the most part), but recent dust-ups over racism—most notably, chronic racial profiling and, recently, students donning blackface for their Halloween costumes—have brought previously subtle racial tensions out into the open. Economic diversity also seems to be an issue. Most students come from relatively affluent backgrounds, although the University does pride itself on the fact that 12 percent of incoming freshmen in 2013 were Pell Grant recipients. For those in lower-income brackets, NU students can seem spoiled at times. Unfortunately, these tensions don't seem to be dying down any time soon and definitely need to be addressed by the University. Hopefully, NU will continue to take steps to soothe these tensions.

As for support for various ethnicities on campus, NU actually does a fairly impressive job. Groups like Alianza (for Hispanic students), For Members Only (for black students), South Asian Student Alliance (SASA), (African Student Association (ASA), and others have a pretty strong presence on campus through fashion shows, performances, potlucks, and other events. For minorities on campus, these groups, as well as pre-professional groups like the National Association of Hispanic Journalists, provide a good support group for minorities who feel lost in the shuffle.

Northwestern University Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at Northwestern University

chelseacorbin

'14

Journalism

3.5

B

Despite Limited Diversity, NU Is Accepting

I don't think Northwestern is very diverse racially or economically or politically. There is a fair amount of diversity of religion and sexual orientation, however. Even if there isn't must opportunity to practice acceptance in this homogeneous culture, in theory, NU students are very accepting in my experience.

Oct 18, 2011

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Diversity at Northwestern University

ceb

'14

Civil Engineering

2.3

C

Ehh

all the cultural houses are fine, feels weird if you aren't that ethnicity but join anyway

Sep 29, 2011

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Diversity at Northwestern University

llh914

'14

Biology and Biological Sciences

3.8

B+

Relatively Diverse

Northwestern is a lot more diverse than my hometown which is like 95% caucasian. I definitely like the diversity and I think that generally diversity is accepted in the Northwestern community, but I have also noticed that most students of similar backgrounds tend to hang out with each other more than others.

Sep 20, 2011

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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?

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