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- Diversity

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University of Pennsylvania - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler5.00

Diversity

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

Comparable Schools' Diversity Grades:

Quick Stats

African American 7%
Asian American 15%
Hispanic 5%
International 8%
Native American 0%
White 39%
Unknown 25%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 84%
Common States of Residence
  • California
  • Florida
  • Foreign countries
  • New Jersey
  • New York
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 1%
18-19: 21%
20-21: 23%
22-24: 19%
25+: 36%
Female Faculty 36%
Male Faculty 64%
Faculty Diversity African American: 2%
Asian American: 13%
Hispanic: 2%
International: 14%
Native American: 0%
White: 67%
Unknown: 2%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Although Penn students come from a range of economic and racial backgrounds and have varying political viewpoints, there are underrepresented groups whose increased presence would perhaps enhance the cultural breadth of the community. Hispanic and African-American students each make up a meager six percent of the student population. Some students find this to be a problem, asserting that the large Asian and non-Christian populations do not make up for the fact that other minority groups are not adequately represented.

Students are not the only ones who believe that certain minority groups should have a stronger presence on campus. The admissions office has stated that they take race into account when deciding whether or not to grant admission to a high school student. Last year, the school launched an initiative to attract more African American students to apply and matriculate as undergraduate students at Penn. At the school where Sadie Alexander, the first African-American women to receive her PhD, studied, and John B. Taylor, the first black American to win an Olympic gold medal, graduated, a larger African American population would also serve to remind today’s students of Penn’s rich cultural heritage. However, students are granted a rich and eye-opening experience if they are open to exposing themselves to people with backgrounds dramatically different from their own.

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Penn Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at University of Pennsylvania

cdh3c2

Economics '15

5.0
A+

Diversity!!!

Penn is definitely one of the most diverse campuses in the nation. There are students of every ethnicity, religion, political view, and sexual orientation. Everyone is accepting of everyone else.

Feb 07, 2012

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Diversity at University of Pennsylvania

bpsbgs

Political Science and Government '15

3.5
B

Not a Huge Fan, Nominal Diversity

Nominally, Penn's diverse. It has kids from however many hundreds of countries and virtually every state, but the majority are from PA, NJ, MD, NY and the like. Yes, a majority of the school's a "minority", but each contingent of people tends to keep to themselves. Clicks exist a lot, especially among sports teams, who all join the same frats, etc.

As far as Sexual orientation goes, Penn is one of the most liberal, at least nominally. It seems as though everybody has the same sort of typical opinions about how wonderful it is to respect persons of different sexual orientations

Oct 15, 2011

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Diversity at University of Pennsylvania

ktzeng

Liberal Arts and Humanities '13

1.9
C-

Little Diversity

At Penn, there is a lot of diversity in race and hometown, but very little diversity in economic status. Obviously they are outliers, but for the most part, most people fit the Penn stereotype.

May 19, 2011

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Page 1 of 6
User rating for University of Pennsylvania - Diversity is 3.5 out of 5 based on 17 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

There are many on-campus groups run by and for the gay community of Penn. In fact, there are probably more groups than most people realize. Although the majority of students are very accepting of the gay community, students do not tend to be extremely aware or involved. Nevertheless, Penn has one of the longest-standing LGBT centers of its kind, having been built in 1982. It is widely considered an excellent resource for those who make use of it.

Political Activity

On a campus with almost 10,000 undergraduate students from 50 states and countries all over the world, almost every political viewpoint is represented, and the campus is pretty much evenly split as far as conservatism and liberalism. Liberals often feel that students tend to have conservative viewpoints, while conservative students feel the opposite. Penn is a liberal school overall, but considered one of the more conservative universities of the seven Ivys. Many students are relatively apathetic and, although they may have strong opinions, choose not to be an active force for any cause. However, there are decent amounts of activist groups who are very passionate and dedicated to covering environmental, social, and governmental issues.

Economic Status

There are students of all economic means at Penn. However, many, if not most, undergraduate students enjoyed a relatively privileged upbringing.

Most Common Religions

Judaism is a very popular religion among Penn students. Hillel’s membership lies in the thousands, and there are services offered for all Jewish denominations. Christianity is also common, although there is a much lower percentage of Christian people on campus than at most other schools. There is a church on campus, as well as many other local places of worship. There are also Christian clubs including a Christian á cappella group.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Penn’s minority organizations contribute to the social character of Penn’s campus. Many throw parties and cultural activities usually welcome the entire community, no matter which race, to participate.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Perry Petra-Wong
Hometown
Pasadena, Calif.
Major
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics

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.

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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.