Importance Of Economic Diversity In Higher Education

Economic Diversity in Higher Education

In today 's world where the demographic of the population is greatly diverse, higher education should also reflect it in their student body. The purpose of colleges and universities is to provide students with the education and experience they need to succeed in life. Thus, they must provide the same environment that student will live and work in the future. It is then essential for the admission office to consider economic diversity as one of their main priority. There is a huge achievement gap between students from different economic background and it is continuously growing. As proof, Professor Reardon, a Stanford University sociologist, conducted a study which showed that the gap of standardized test scores between high-income and low-income students had grown by about 40% in comparison to the 1960s. Colleges are currently facing a growing

First and foremost, college is a place for learning and expanding one’s horizons. Thus, economic diversity broadens every classroom with unique perspectives of those whose voices aren’t normally heard before. For example, Anthony Max, the president of Amherst University from 2003 to 2011, stated in his article, “discussions of economic inequality and opportunity are much more enlightening for all of us when there are participants who can speak from different backgrounds with heart and wisdom, rather than just argue in the abstract or from pre-set political positions.” This type of interactions enhances every discussion and challenges students to think beyond their traditional points of view and hones their critical thinking ability. In order for students to successfully integrate and function in the world today, they must have some exposure to the demographic that make up the diverse population in which they will live and