Diversity Data for Universities

[Jewel1968]

My mixed race DS does not want to go to a university that is 'very white'. They are worried about not fitting in. This has prompted me to check out the diversity data. Some university websites are easy to navigate and have all the data I need but others are rubbish or at least not easy to find or make sense of.

I was wondering if there is a central database somewhere that might have this data. Somewhere I could do some comparisons between universities. Does anyone have any idea where I might find something like that? I have done some searching on internet but no luck so far. Thanks

I understand the argument about balance. One thing I learnt from a thread here is that a key diversity data set to look at is the degrees awarded in respect of race/ethnicity. I think the point made was don't assume a uni with a good mix is less discriminatory. That is another reason for looking at the data. And that paints an interesting picture. So thanks again to those sharing the way to find the data.

My kids are in a mixed London school but because they are in the higher stream they are in a tiny minority of ethnic minoritiy pupils so they do know how to be the only black child in the class. Well one of 4.

OP remember- there are more black students at London Metropolitan (don't mean to offend any alumni here) than the WHOLE of the Russell group uni's.

So to put it in stark terms, if your son is in the higher stream at school and doesn't want to attend a university that is "too white", he's not going to attend any of the top universities, its that simple, because none of them are teeming with black faces

And if he's going into debt, spending thousands, to be blunt, it's hardly worth it.

While we all want to 'fit in' when we're young, I don't think A Level students understand what University is really like. No-one 'fits in' its just different tribes ignoring each other and he'll find his tribe if he's young. The sad fact is as a young black boy from London, he'll have a certain set of students fawning over him to hang out because he'll instantly be regarded as cool.

The chief driver for your son needs to be what subject and the best place in the country to study it.

I suggest you both watch this video together for a true state of university education and black children

London universities are on the list. I think LSE and UCL are considered good universities? SOAS too?. I think that it's not about teaming but more about a bit of representation and good data. Anyway ,will watch that video. Thanks do appreciate all the thoughts.

OP you are researching universities slightly backwards.

Your children need to work out:

1. What courses they are interested in, whether they are likely to get good jobs by doing those courses and whether it is hard to get a good job. To be blunt some courses e.g. fine art, history of art are not worth it unless you are very wealthy. Other courses are only worth doing if you can get a first and afford to do a masters later on in something job related.
2. Work out what universities they can get in with the grades they are predicted.
3. Then look at whether any of those universities will suit them in terms of demographics of the university and location e.g. city over campus.

Also they should remember if they choose STEM subjects, particularly highly regarded university courses, there will be more black and brown faces on their courses though they may be the only British black or black mixed student as the rest will be foreign.

@RedWingBoots They have chosen the subject. They are likely to be excellent at it. Luckily I have a friend with a PhD in said subject so getting good insight into job opportunities. It's a niche area so am lucky to have this friend. Predicted all A* so hopefully not too many barriers there. We shall see.

@FlamencoDance Understand the point about international. Have another friend who went to LSE and she has explained that to me.

Thanks all for your thoughts. It does help.

To be blunt some courses e.g. fine art, history of art are not worth it unless you are very wealthy.

Fine Art from a great Art school can get you an excellent job, CREATING ART!

Damien Hirst studied Fine Art at Goldsmiths, he's worth about 384 million , not too shabby.

History of Art from somewhere like the Courtauld can lead to a job at Sotheby's, again a very lucrative career, or teaching. A first class degree in History of Art from Oxford will get you into most bog standard Grad schemes over a first in Business Studies from London Met, any day of the week.

You need to study what you love, so you'll get an excellent degree and ideally you need to study what you love at the best place to study it.

Funnily enough you may find it more difficult to get into London unis as a black for courses like medicine/law as a black person despite assuming these unis are more likely to be diverse due to London.

I agree but show me successful black/mixed race in the Arts and not just a few. Of course you can be successful but is it possible in a country like the UK.

What??

I suggest you read the book below. OF COURSE there are many successful Britsh black/Asian/dual heritage artists!!! I'm not* *going to list them to you, that's down to you to educate yourself, not me.

In the UK, a black artist has the vector of race AND class in the UK. Walk into any art college like St Martins and the vast majority (more so than a Russell group Uni) will be white and upper middle classed. The upper middle classed are the only ones that can fund a career in art that is often low paid and has a long apprenticeship. We are under represented in this class, and insecurity from racial opression tends to encourage black middle class parents to steer children to 'safe' careers like law and medicine, at institutions with lots of diversity, see

www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Artists-British-Art-International/dp/1780762720/ref=asc_df_1780762720/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=311043780415&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11189690829498845775&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045699&hvtargid=pla-564959167836&psc=1&th=1&psc=1

@Doubtmyself:your post is extremely naive.

There is plenty of information out there now that will show you a good degree is now not enough.

A good degree has never been enough, I'm not sure what your saying.
I maintain there are plenty of successful black artists. Success in any field is a bundle of factors, education is just one of them. There's luck, connections, tenancity.

My first big break after graduating with a first class honours from a top university, was my university friend’s cousin, a headhunter, who took me on and got me an interview at a top bank. I was getting nowhere before that

A year or so after my first job, my boss told me he hired me because I have a nice smile and happened to follow football and support the same team! Luck, right time and right place, all of this played a part. Once I had some experience, my City career took off.
Nothing ‘naive’ about my post. It’s naïve to think you should chase a career for money and expect to be happy in your career. You should always study what your passionate about, at the place institution to study it. If my DC wanted to study art at St Martins , I’m not going to tell them, no study law at LSE because you get a better job and there’s more black kids at LSE than St Martins.