Notre Dame de Namur University Listed among Top 10 Most Diverse in U.S.
Private college outpaces all but one public university in diversity
For Immediate Release (6/19/2018)
Belmont, Calif.—Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) was listed among the 10 most diverse campuses in the United States in a recent ranking by Best Value Schools. The campus’s Equity Index Score placed NDNU above every public university in the country except one, in terms of diversity.
“We’re extremely fortunate to have one of the most diverse student populations,” said NDNU President Judith Maxwell Greig. “Our university takes seriously the statement in our Hallmarks that we ‘embrace the gift of diversity.’”
NDNU as a whole has a unique mix of students where no single racial or ethnic group makes up more than 34% of the student body. This diversity is supported by an extensive program of financial aid. Of the incoming freshmen at NDNU, 98% receive financial aid. In the 2017–18 freshman class, more than half of the students were the first in their family to attend college.
Notre Dame de Namur University was one of the first private, nonprofit universities in California to be designated a Hispanic Serving Institution and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). NDNU also incorporates diversity into the curriculum and administrative practices. Undergraduates take nine credit hours of classes on cultural diversity and community engagement. The university regularly surveys its students to assess how well NDNU addresses the needs of diverse students.
ABOUT NDNU
Notre Dame de Namur University (NDNU) is a Catholic, not-for-profit, coeducational institution serving approximately 1,600 students from diverse backgrounds. Established in 1851 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, NDNU is the third-oldest college in California and the first authorized to grant the baccalaureate degree to women. NDNU maintains a strong commitment to academic excellence, social justice, and community engagement. The university is fully accredited and offers a rich variety of undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and teacher credential programs. The historic campus is located on the San Francisco Peninsula in Silicon Valley. For more information, visit www.ndnu.edu.