How should I compare student diversity at colleges in Georgia and Maryland?

A meaningful comparison goes beyond the percentage of students in each racial or ethnic category: look at whether students from different backgrounds are represented across majors, leadership, residence life, and everyday campus culture. For Georgia and Maryland schools, compare the same data sources for each institution, then check how the college supports first-generation, international, LGBTQ+, religious, transfer, and low-income students. The most useful question is not simply “Who enrolls?” but “Who appears to belong, participate, and have influence?”

Start with each college’s Common Data Set and the federal College Scorecard or IPEDS profile. Compare undergraduate figures, not institution-wide totals, since graduate programs can substantially change the picture.

Then examine the student-life evidence. Read the lists of cultural organizations, multicultural centers, identity-based affinity groups, religious communities, and student newspapers. Check whether those groups seem active, whether the school hosts recurring cultural programming, and whether there are visible resources for reporting bias or seeking support. A campus may have diverse enrollment but limited interaction among groups, while another may have fewer demographic categories represented but a notably interconnected community.

Also consider the surrounding setting. Maryland colleges near the Baltimore-Washington corridor may draw from a highly varied regional population and offer internships in diverse communities. Georgia colleges can differ sharply by location as well: an urban Atlanta-area campus may feel very different from a smaller-town or rural campus.

When you visit or attend a virtual event, ask current students where they find community, whether classes and social spaces feel integrated, and whether campus administrators respond constructively to concerns.