American Colleges Want More Rural Students

Many American higher education officials agree on the need for a more balanced racial, ethnic and cultural mix at universities and colleges.

In the past, American colleges and universities placed special importance on minority or international students. But a growing number of private colleges now seek to admit more rural students. Admissions officials believe that such students have a different way of thinking than students from heavily populated areas like cities.

Andrew Moe is Associate Dean of Admissions and Director of Access at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He said admitting students from rural areas is a natural extension of the college’s inclusion goals.

“The fact is, that a sizable proportion of the U.S. population live in rural areas…We found through our research that about 59 million, or 20 percent of the U.S. population, live in rural areas.”

He added that about 50 percent of U.S. school departments are also in rural areas.

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