How to find information on wealth distribution of colleges?

College Search & Lists
1

I am trying to learn more about the student bodies of the schools I am considering (several schools just below the ivies, as well as a few larger universities). Going somewhere with as diverse a student body as possible is very important to me, so i’m trying to get a feel for what kinds of student in terms of life backgrounds are at various schools. However, I’m having trouble finding non-anecdotal information on this.

This article is extremely useful, and you can click on more schools for more information: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/18/upshot/some-colleges-have-more-students-from-the-top-1-percent-than-the-bottom-60.html. However, it says it is based on information for roughly the graduating class of 2013, and it seems like things may have changed significantly since then.

Any ideas on where to look, or how accurate this information might still be?

Thank you in advance!

2

You can look up percentage of undergraduates with Pell grants (approximates the lower half of the income distribution) on College Navigator.

Overall, about a third of college undergraduates get Pell grants (those from lower income families are less likely to attend college generally).

The percentage getting or not getting any grant or scholarship money can indicate the top end, but differences in list price and financial aid policies can make that less comparable across colleges.