Re: #47 - I’m not sure those are the most compelling criteria, since many of them would apply to the same colleges and universities that offer the most generous financial-aid packages. Unfortunately, lower-income students have the fewest opportunities to visit campuses and get a sense of their “vibe.” Some colleges might have a lot of students from privileged backgrounds, but they are not the types to engage in superficial displays, whereas others will have lots of luxury cars parked on campus, and students will flaunt expensive accessories. Students at urban campuses are less likely to keep cars there, but might self-segregate according to their weekend entertainments. I’m inclined to say that the more a college or university stresses community engagement and intellectual rigor, the less it’s likely to emphasize social stratification . . . but that is an over-simplification. A college like Reed or Pitzer will not have Greek-letter organizations, and will have an extremely progressive campus culture, but they will have fewer students from less affluent backgrounds than University of Alabama will.
A college that offers a lot of free activities to students, in a community with affordable opportunities for off-campus housing, dining, and attendance at events, will be more welcoming toward impecunious students. Also, bear in mind that many of the richest people are obsessively frugal, and their kids are often on tighter budgets at college than some middle-class counterparts.