Percentage of University students from underrepresented groups below peer median

The Daily Illini

CloseThe percentage of underrepresented students at the University remains lower than the peer median. Emma LiEmma LiThe percentage of underrepresented students at the University remains lower than the peer median. Leon Li, Staff WriterMarch 23, 2017Filed under Administration, Around Campus, Campus, NewsWith an international population of over 10,000, the University boasts one of the highest percentages of international students in the country at nearly 24 percent.  The percentage of students from underrepresented groups, however, remains below the median of the University’s peer group.Of the three schools in the University of Illinois system, the Urbana-Champaign location is the only campus in which this is the case.“There’s a huge international population, but then you go into other aspects [of diversity] like Black or Latinx, and that population is very slim still,” said Julius Adams, junior in FAA.Underrepresented groups, as defined by the Board of Trustees, include Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander and multi-racial students.According to the Division of Management Information demographics report, African Americans represent a mere 5.16 percent of the student body, Hispanics 8.78 percent, American Indian 0.08 percent, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.06 percent.Altogether, about 17 percent of the student body is made up of underrepresented groups. This is about 5 points lower than the median percentage of the University’s peers, which includes UCLA, UT-Austin, and University of Michigan.“It’s noticeable,” Adams said. “Especially in fields like engineering, but even in music, there’s not a large African American population.”However, Associate Chancellor for Public Affairs Robin Kaler said there are many factors that contribute to the University’s low percentage of underrepresented students.“It’s easier to have a higher percentage of underrepresented students if you are willing for your overall class to be small,” Kaler said, “but Illinois affects the lives of more students.”While the University’s percentage of underrepresented students falls ...

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