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Willamette University
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Willamette University - Diversity - Diversity - College ProwlerCollege Prowler3.85

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 7%
Hispanic 4%
International 13%
Native American 1%
White 52%
Unknown 22%
Historically Black College/University? No
Tribal College? No
Out-of-State Students 72%
Common States of Residence
  • California
  • Colorado
  • Hawaii
  • Nevada
  • Washington
Student Age Breakdown Under 18: 1%
18-19: 36%
20-21: 31%
22-24: 13%
25+: 19%
Female Faculty 45%
Male Faculty 55%
Faculty Diversity African American: 2%
Asian American: 8%
Hispanic: 6%
International: 0%
Native American: 0%
White: 78%
Unknown: 6%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

Even though Willamette is a small college with a small student population, there is a significant amount of diversity on campus. In addition to racial and ethnic diversity, there is substantial geographic, religious, and cultural diversity. Willamette is home to students from across the United States in addition to many international students. Willamette is also home to Tokyo International University of America (TIUA), which brings 100 to 150 Japanese students to campus to study and live with Willamette students every year.

Willamette builds off the diversity of its student body by supporting several multicultural clubs and events, as well as school-sponsored programs and discussions around social justice and diversity. For students interested in diversity and social justice, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of the Chaplains are great programs in which to become involved. For students seeking to experience other cultures, there are numerous cultural events every week on campus, ranging from the annual Luau and Pow Wow events to food nights with the Spanish Club. A student could easily learn to cook food from Bolivia, eat French pastries, and experience Japanese music in a week at Willamette. The diversity at Willamette is greatly supported by the fact that the majority of Willamette students will study abroad during their time at Willamette. When these students return from studying abroad, they bring back with them some of the culture of the country they lived in and further increase Willamette’s cultural diversity.

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Willamette Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Diversity at Willamette University

clair

English '15

3.5
B

There's Acceptance, but Not Much Diversity

We have a predominately white population. The runner up would probably be Japanese students, because of our Sister School in Tokyo. There are lots of diversity awareness groups though, and the campus is all together very open from what I've seen. We just don't have that many people of other backgrounds in Oregon.

Apr 11, 2012

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Diversity at Willamette University

ajasmund

Biochemistry and Molecular Biology '15

2.3
C

Two Majorities

Aside from White and Asian (Because of the Tokyo International University of America) people there aren't really that many other minorities represented at this school but that could partially be because we are a small private school in Salem, Oregon so we dont have many different racial groups to choose from.

Jan 18, 2012

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Diversity at Willamette University

BRICH

Political Science and Government '15

2.3
C

Not as Diverse as Other Schools

Willamette is not as diverse as I would have thought it to be since it is a liberal arts university. There is an international school that is linked with the University but you dont see many of those students around as they usually stick to themselves.

Jan 18, 2012

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Page 1 of 6
User rating for Willamette University - 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

The campus and Willamette community is accepting and encouraging of its gay community. There is an active gay-straight alliance on campus called Angles. Regarding events and organizations, the annual “Guess the Straight Person” event is a popular campus tradition. There are a lot of free campus resources for gay students. The city of Salem tends to have more of an older, active gay community, but not much of a younger social scene. Luckily, Portland is nearby.

Political Activity

Willamette is a very politically active school. Students are well versed in the latest political news, and many students work and intern at the State Capitol. Getting involved in politics on campus is really easy. Students can join any of the many campaigns that recruit on campus, work at the State Capitol, or join the College Democrats or Republicans. Willamette has a long history of political involvement and counts many judges, governors, and members of Congress among its alumni.

Economic Status

Willamette is an expensive school, no doubt about that. To be able to afford to attend this prestigious little institution, most students are of a higher economic status and fall into the middle- to upper-middle class. You will meet a handful of students who have loans and scholarships, plus are working part time to pay for their schooling. Mostly, you will be in contact with middle-class students, most on some form of loans or grants. Willamette has a generous financial aid office that allows students to graduate with small amounts of debt.

Most Common Religions

While Willamette is a Methodist-affiliated school, most Willamette students would identify themselves as some form of Christian or nonreligious. There are several active religious organizations on campus, including Campus Ambassadors (a popular Christian Fellowship), Jewish Student Union, and the InterVaristy Christian Fellowship. Some dorms and even athletic teams offer weekly Bible study groups.

Minority Clubs on Campus

Alpha Zeta Nu represents the interests and concerns of Willamette’s Asian community. The Hawaii Club is one of the most popular clubs at Willamette that celebrates all things Hawaiian, and it is also the sponsor of the Luau, a Willamette tradition. Alianza is a popular Latino cultural club that hosts popular events such as "Dia de los Muertos" and "Cinco De Mayo." There are numerous other minority clubs that represent various different minority populations on campus.

Did You Know? Luau is one of the most attended events on campus and attracts people from all over the Northwest.

Become a Contributing Author Learn more »

Most Recent Student Author View all

Name
Rafael Baptista
Hometown
Portland, OR
Major
Politics and Spanish
Grad Year
2012

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.
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