Diversity Experiences and College Student Learning and Personal Development

Using responses to The College Student Experience Questionnaire (CSEQ) from 53,756 undergraduates at 124 American four-year colleges and universities, this study examines the effects of interactional diversity experiences on a range of desirable outcomes for White students and students of color in different types of higher education institutions. Though White students had less contact with students from different backgrounds, such experiences positively affected the self-reported gains for both Whites and students of color at all types of colleges. These effects differed in magnitude, however, for White students and students of color, depending on the respective outcome measure and institutional type.