Florida’s most economically diverse public universities, ranked. Where does FAU sit?
There’s been a growing focus on economic diversity in universities and colleges, and that attention has only increased since the U.S. Supreme Court banned race-based college admissions in June.
Now, many education experts say the best way to improve diversity in colleges is to ensure that they enroll students from a range of economic backgrounds.
Much attention has focused on the low levels of economic diversity in Ivy League schools, where students from wealthy families are far more likely to be accepted. But the issue is pervasive at colleges across the country.
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Federal education statistics from 2021 show economic diversity is much better in Florida’s public universities, but some campuses are much more diverse than others.
There are different ways to measure economic diversity in colleges, but one common way is by the number of Pell Grant recipients a school enrolls. Pell Grants are federal aid for financially needy students.
Florida's public universities and colleges with the highest rates of Pell Grant students:
Florida A&M University – 56%
Florida International University – 47%
Florida Atlantic University – 36%
University of Central Florida – 35%
University of West Florida – 33%
Florida Polytechnic University – 32%
University of South Florida – 32%
New College of Florida – 30%
Florida Gulf Coast University – 29%
University of North Florida – 29%
Florida State University – 26%
University of Florida – 23%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: FAU one of Florida’s most economically diverse public universities
