Selection of Universities by students in journalism and mass communication courses: Do criteria differ between Caucasian and minority students?

This study measures the significance of factors used by minority students in their selection of universities/colleges. This web survey was conducted mainly on 778 students enrolled in journalism/mass communication courses representing five historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and twelve other universities. Differences were found among and between criteria favored by students of various ethnicities, minority, and majority students at public and private universities, and students at HBCUs and their counterparts at white majority institutions. Two factors, a university’s academic reputation and the availability of financial assistance, emerged as most important among all respondents. Beyond that, however, the survey found differences between majority and minority students, for example, in their rankings of the presence of minority faculty and intercollegiate athletic programs, among others.