Muhlenberg Recognized by “The New York Times” for Economic Diversity
The College is included in the publication’s College Access Index, a list of the country’s 286 most selective colleges and universities ranked in order of economic diversity, and President Kathleen Harring was interviewed for an accompanying newsletter.By: Kristine Yahna Todaro Friday, September 8, 2023 02:19 PM
Photo by Kristi Morris“We’re actually not fulfilling our mission unless we have a diverse group of students,” said President Kathleen Harring in today’s edition of The New York Times’ The Morning newsletter, “The College Access Index Returns: A new look at economic diversity in higher education.” The newsletter reaches 16 million subscribers, according to this World Association of News Publishers article, and also appears on The New York Times’ homepage.
The Times measured economic diversity by analyzing the share of students receiving Pell grants, which are awarded to undergraduate students who display the greatest financial need. Pell grant distribution is a widely used way to measure the percentage of lower-income students at an institution.
The Index, which will run in Sunday’s The New York Times Magazine print edition, covers the 286 most-selective colleges in the country, defined by Barron’s Profiles of American Colleges and other metrics. It shows each college’s Pell share for the entering class in 2020–2021, compared with the 2010–2011 share.
Muhlenberg’s rise, from 8 percent for the 2010–2011 incoming class to 20 percent for the 2020–2021 incoming class, is tied for fifth place in the Index, one of the most impressive in the nation.
This year’s incoming class, Muhlenberg’s Class of 2027, surpasses that figure with 22 percent Pell-grant eligible students as well as other diversity indicators including 26 percent domestic students of color and 18 percent first-generation students. The College was also recently named an American Talent Initiative High-Flier, a group of 28 high-graduation-rate institutions nationwide named as leaders in college access and success for lower-income students.
In today’s newsletter, Harring added that Muhlenberg has expanded its corporate partnerships for adult-education programs and started a fundraising campaign (Boundless: The Campaign for Muhlenberg) focused on financial aid, among other initiatives, to support these efforts.
About Muhlenberg College
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 23 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
