List of Diverse Colleges Ranks UH-Hilo Second

The University of Hawai’i at Hilo is listed as one of the top colleges in the nation when it comes to diversity. A recent list released by Best College Reviews, an online website that aims to act as an objective and editorially independent college review journal, lists UH-Hilo in the number two slot.

Swarthmore College, located in Pennsylvania, sits in the top seat with the University of Hawai’i at Manoa third on the list.

Best College Reviews’ list of “The 50 Top Ethnically Diverse College in America” was based on several portions of criteria, including that schools could have no race representing more than 45 percent of its total student body, at least three races were required to represent a percentage over 12, the number of individuals who fall into minority groups that graduated in 2012-13, and scholarships, clubs, organizations, and associations for ethnic groups.

The website utilized statistics and definitions of race and ethnicity from the National Center for Education Statistics and Diverse Issues in Higher Education.

UH-Hilo was noted for its diverse student population and is listed for celebrating ethnic diversity as part of the education on the campus. The UH-Hilo Performing Arts Center was also include as reasoning for the university’s inclusion, saying the facility acts as a major educational and cultural center on the island.

Swarthmore College was credited for its “Intercultural Center that ‘promotes change toward a multicultural perspective across the institution and fosters community-building and collaboration among diverse groups’,” according to Best College Reviews.

UH-Hilo and UH-Manoa, both part of the UH state-wide system, were the only Hawai’i colleges to make the list.