Pomona College
- Diversity

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Pomona College - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

Diversity

Quick Stats

African American 8%
Asian American 14%
Hispanic 11%
International 4%
Native American 0%
White 47%
Unknown 15%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 72%
Common States of Residence
  • Foreign countries
  • Illinois
  • New York
  • Texas
  • Washington
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 3%
18-19: 48%
20-21: 44%
22-24: 4%
25+: 0%
Female Faculty 43%
Male Faculty 58%
Faculty Diversity African American: 5%
Asian American: 14%
Hispanic: 9%
International: 1%
Native American: 0%
White: 65%
Unknown: 7%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Pomona’s numbers concerning campus diversity come out looking pretty good, but the majority of students don’t feel that the school is really all that diverse. Cited lack of socio-economic variance and a prevalence of ideological conformity tend to account for this impression. Pomona does have a good representation of different ethnicities, and it is very accepting of its students, regardless of their background or views. Many, however, wish that there could be a better representation as far as experience goes. Black or white, gay or straight, most Pomona kids come from upper-middle-class suburban American backgrounds, and as such, their differences are viewed by many as only skin deep.

Students here fall pretty safely in the middle of most spectra. We tend to think what college students are supposed to think, do what they do, say what they say, and so on. This is not necessarily a bad thing; Pomona’s environment is amazingly comfortable for many students, and there are many wonderful, unique people here. However, there is an easy way to define diversity and a hard way, and Pomona tends to opt for the former. We all know diversity is “good,” but often it is far simpler to throw a bone to the dogs of political correctness than it is to let loose the dogs of culture-clash.

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Pomona Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at Pomona College

mjalal100

Chemistry '16

4.6
A

Very Accepting and Getting Diverse Over Time, but Still Needs Work

I'm a Questbridge Finalist which is aimed at low income students, and I've met Posse scholars which works the same way. I've never felt so accepted and loved. Pomona is ethnically very diverse with more than 45% students of color, and the students are all individual yet very talented. They make the campus what it is. The campus does seem to be pretty homogeneous politically and cliques just seem to happen, though they aren't walled to be broken. In recent years this has been disappearing so Pomona's getting better at it.

Apr 22, 2012

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Diversity at Pomona College

FGrady

Spanish Language and Literature '14

N/A

Diversity

30% of students are from CA, while 62% of students are from other states and 8% of students are international. We are split 50/50 men vs. women. Racially, we are an unfortunate 43% white, 13% Asian, 12% hispanic, 10% black, and <1% Native American (the rest of people annoyingly declined to state).

We have many mentor programs for "minorities," including AAMP (Asian American Mentor Program), one for Latin Americans, one for African American, ISMP (International Student Mentor Program), and QQAMP (Queer, Questioning, and Allied Mentor Program). However, I feel that these further create divides between students by categorizing them by ethnicity. I am white, but in high school the majority of people I knew and were friends with were Asian or foreign-born Eastern European. At Pomona, unfortunately, I have noticed that "minorities" tend to hang out only with members of the same ethnicity, which I feel is a result of the mentor programs. In addition to the mentor programs, we also have many student organizations for races, religions, and political leanings. Some examples include but are not limited to many locations of Bible Study, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, Jewish Student Union (JSU), similar organization for Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, and Atheists, Pan-Afican Student Association (PASA), Black Student Union (BSU), Black and Christian, several Latin American organizations, Democrats of the Claremont Colleges (Our student population is mostly made up of Democrats), and Republicans of the Claremont Colleges.

I do not think anyone even notices people's economic background because of our wonderful financial aid program, but I have seen no discrimination on account of this.

Our campus is ranked thirteenth most LGBTQ-friendly in the nation, partially because of our awesome Queer Resource Center (QRC). We have many out LGBTQ students and faculty members and some transgenders, as well.

Jan 12, 2011

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Diversity at Pomona College

tulipa90

Music '12

3.5
B

It Is What You Make It

It really depends on where you come from. My hometown is way more diverse than Pomona, but for many people it is the most diverse place they've ever seen. If you want a diverse group of friends it's not too difficult. There are plenty of student groups and cultural activities, so it's really what you make it.

In terms of socioeconomic diversity, it's mostly really rich people (some of whom will claim to be middle class), really poor people, and a few actual middle class.

Most people here aren't religious, I'd say, but there are services and ceremonies offered for every religion if desired.

Apr 05, 2010

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User rating for Pomona College - Diversity is 4.6 out of 5 based on 14 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

Generally Pomona is a very accepting environment; there is a QRC (Queer Resource Center), a Queer and Questioning club, and there are many queer-sponsored activities on campus. Most gay students do not find discrimination to be a major factor in their lives.

Political Activity

Pomona is a hotbed of student protest. There is nearly always someone protesting something. From poor worker conditions in the dining hall to the sale of the Bernard Field Station to a biotech institute, Pomona students stay active politically, and they are excellent enactors of the motto: “Think globally, act locally.”

Economic Status

Pretty rich, generally. You won’t, however, find a bunch of old-moneyed, eastern snobs here. Instead, you will find a bunch of new-moneyed, western snobs cleverly, but imperfectly, disguised as laid-back hippies.

Most Common Religions

Most Pomona students are either Protestant, Catholic, or Jewish.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Asian Pacific Islander Awareness Committee, Asian American Students Association, Chinese Student Association, Hui Laule’a, Hawaiian students’ organization, International Club, International/Intercultural Association, Jewish Student Union, Korean Students Association, Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Aztlan (MEChA), Muslim Students’ Association, Pan-African Students Association, Unidos, Vietnamese American Student Association, World Youth Network

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