Economic Diversity

[Anonymous]

Looking for information on economic diversity of SLACS, I came across these rankings for both SLACS and National Universities.

http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/rankings/national-universities/economic-diversity

Shocking to see how low top universities rank. This may well be a factor in the recent decline in social mobility and certainly helps explain the lack of understanding across the income gap.

[Anonymous]

Among Top Ranked schools, only the UC's and Big Ten schools has respectable economic diversity.

[Anonymous]

My sister says that Swarthmore was pretty economically diverse for a top school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My sister says that Swarthmore was pretty economically diverse for a top school.

The stats don't support that

[Anonymous]

In your opinion, what % of students receiving Pell grants would make it the most diverse? Where in the middle?

[Anonymous]

It's difficult to interpret these data, because the top schools are much more likely than others to meet 100% of the need of students from lower income families. So, e.g., only 14% of students at Yale are poor enough to qualify for Pell grants, but since Yale meets 100% need, all of them will be getting substantial financial aid. Students from families making under $30,000 will pay an average $7800 per year to go to Yale. By comparison, 22% of the students at NYU qualify for Pell Grants, but NYU doesn't meet full need, so the average price paid per year for students from families with income under $30,000 is $27,000--an OUTRAGEOUS amount of money that is almost certainly being financed with loans. You can see that by clicking the "net price" tab here:

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=new+york+university&s=all&id=193900

So I dunno, is NYU doing these poor students any big favor?

[Anonymous]

^^Should add that I have no attachments to Yale whatsoever, so I have no dog in this particular fight.

[Anonymous]

I think PP focuses on affordability, which is different from economic diversity. I'm not too concerned about how others finance their DC education, but I'd like my upper middle class child to have exposure to children from a range of SES backgrounds. Few children in the DMV bubble have encountered working class children.

[Anonymous]

Economic Diversity would mean that the student population mirrors the general population. So, I would expect the schools with 25%-30% Pell Grants would be the most economic diverse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's difficult to interpret these data, because the top schools are much more likely than others to meet 100% of the need of students from lower income families. So, e.g., only 14% of students at Yale are poor enough to qualify for Pell grants, but since Yale meets 100% need, all of them will be getting substantial financial aid. Students from families making under $30,000 will pay an average $7800 per year to go to Yale. By comparison, 22% of the students at NYU qualify for Pell Grants, but NYU doesn't meet full need, so the average price paid per year for students from families with income under $30,000 is $27,000--an OUTRAGEOUS amount of money that is almost certainly being financed with loans. You can see that by clicking the "net price" tab here:

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=new+york+university&s=all&id=193900

So I dunno, is NYU doing these poor students any big favor?

Low-income students at Ivies still take the Pell. Elite schools that offer to meet 100% of demonstrated need on the FAFSA without loans add Pells, SEOGs, and any state grants for which a student is eligible into their calculations. So, yes Pells are a good indicator of how many low-income students a school accepts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's difficult to interpret these data, because the top schools are much more likely than others to meet 100% of the need of students from lower income families. So, e.g., only 14% of students at Yale are poor enough to qualify for Pell grants, but since Yale meets 100% need, all of them will be getting substantial financial aid. Students from families making under $30,000 will pay an average $7800 per year to go to Yale. By comparison, 22% of the students at NYU qualify for Pell Grants, but NYU doesn't meet full need, so the average price paid per year for students from families with income under $30,000 is $27,000--an OUTRAGEOUS amount of money that is almost certainly being financed with loans. You can see that by clicking the "net price" tab here:

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=new+york+university&s=all&id=193900

So I dunno, is NYU doing these poor students any big favor?

Low-income students at Ivies still take the Pell. Elite schools that offer to meet 100% of demonstrated need on the FAFSA without loans add Pells, SEOGs, and any state grants for which a student is eligible into their calculations. So, yes Pells are a good indicator of how many low-income students a school accepts.

Sorry top PP, I reread what you wrote and realized I misinterpreted, you were saying that Yale accepts fewer Pell eligible students, but makes sure the school is affordable. I do think you make a good point.

I work with low-income college-bound students, and it's horrible to see a student with a family income of $18,000 get into a school with a financial aid offer that leaves an over $20,000 gap. And, it's really hard to have that conversation with families that no, taking a PLUS loan that is more than the family's income is not a good idea.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's difficult to interpret these data, because the top schools are much more likely than others to meet 100% of the need of students from lower income families. So, e.g., only 14% of students at Yale are poor enough to qualify for Pell grants, but since Yale meets 100% need, all of them will be getting substantial financial aid. Students from families making under $30,000 will pay an average $7800 per year to go to Yale. By comparison, 22% of the students at NYU qualify for Pell Grants, but NYU doesn't meet full need, so the average price paid per year for students from families with income under $30,000 is $27,000--an OUTRAGEOUS amount of money that is almost certainly being financed with loans. You can see that by clicking the "net price" tab here:

http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=new+york+university&s=all&id=193900

So I dunno, is NYU doing these poor students any big favor?

Low-income students at Ivies still take the Pell. Elite schools that offer to meet 100% of demonstrated need on the FAFSA without loans add Pells, SEOGs, and any state grants for which a student is eligible into their calculations. So, yes Pells are a good indicator of how many low-income students a school accepts.

Harvard and Yale didn't get endowments of 32 and 20 billion respectively by giving money away.

[Anonymous]

Laughing out loud at DCUM moms discussing economic diversity. How many of you have ever lived in an area with a white working class? The DMV is a true bubble where there are virtually no manufacturing jobs and no traditional working class. There are government employees, but even those jobs are largely demographically segregated. This isn't the real world folks and you are probably doing well to make sure that your little cupcakes are ensconced in nice safe private schools and SLACs where there don't have to encounter the real middle and lower classes. The shock might be too great.

[Anonymous]

So true. People from this area associate low SES with people of color. Most people live below the poverty line are classified white, but people who live in the DMV bubble seldom encounter that part of America. Talk about distorted perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So true. People from this area associate low SES with people of color. Most people live below the poverty line are classified white, but people who live in the DMV bubble seldom encounter that part of America. Talk about distorted perspective.

I am confused. I thought this thread was about economic diversity - not racial diversity.