Johns Hopkins University Diversity: An In-Depth Look

What’s Covered:

• Overview of Johns Hopkins Diversity Statistics
• Cultural Resources at JHU
• Plans to Improve Diversity at JHU
• LGBTQ+ Inclusivity at JHU
• How Diverse and Inclusive is Baltimore, MD?
• Is JHU Right for You?

The first research university in the United States, Johns Hopkins University has built a reputation on academic excellence and cutting-edge research, particularly in medicine. The school draws students from around the world who hope to take advantage of top programs in the sciences, international studies, creative writing, and many other disciplines.

When you’re applying to colleges, diversity is an important factor to consider. Keep reading to learn about what diversity and inclusion are like at Hopkins, as well as the efforts the school is taking to improve them.

Overview of Johns Hopkins Diversity Statistics 

Ethnic Diversity

Hopkins provides the following data about the racial/ethnic makeup of both its undergraduate student body and the total student body (excluding Bologna and Nanjing campuses). This data is from the fall 2019 semester.

According to our benchmarks, this indicates that the institution is diverse (both undergraduate and general student bodies), with a non-Hispanic white student body percentage between 30-50%. 

Hopkins also found that 32% of faculty across all divisions identified as members of minority racial and ethnic groups in 2017, while 9% reported being members of underrepresented minority groups (black or African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander).

Financial Diversity

According to a New York Times study published in 2017, the student body at Hopkins comes from the following economic brackets.

You can see that Hopkins has a disproportionately wealthy student body, which is typical of many highly-selective schools. This is despite the fact that Hopkins gives generous financial aid, as the school is need-blind, no-loan, and meets 100% demonstrated need. 

Lower-income people simply face many barriers to getting into top colleges, and if they are accepted, they still face many barriers to their education, such as needing to work a part-time job and having less time to study. 

That said, if you are accepted, the financial aid offered is among the best in the country. To make sure JHU is affordable for your family, however, you should use their net price calculator.

Geographic Diversity

All 50 states and 51 nations are represented in the JHU student body. As per the table above, 12.1% of undergraduates and 20.6% of all students are international.

Hopkins meets the financial need of all matriculating students, including international ones, but admissions are need-aware for international students.

Cultural Resources at Johns Hopkins

Hopkins offers many cultural resources, including HOME (Hopkins Online/Overnight Multicultural Experience). Formerly, this was an overnight opportunity to connect African American, Black, Latinx, Hispanic, Native American, Pacific Islander, and multiracial high school seniors to the multicultural community at the university. During COVID, HOME has been hosted virtually.

JHU also has a number of student groups and organizations dedicated to specific cultures and languages. They are:

• African Students Association
• Black Student Union
• Brazilian Students Association (JHU BRSA)
• Canadians at Johns Hopkins (Canadians at JHU)
• Caribbean Cultural Society
• Ciao! The Johns Hopkins Italian Club
• Chinese Students Association (CSA)
• Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority, Inc.
• Filipino Students Association
• French Club
• Gospel Choir
• Hopkins Advocates for Disability Awareness
• Hong Kong Students Association
• Hopkins Bengali Organization (HBO)
• Hopkins Ethiopian and Eritrean Society (HEES)
• Hopkins Hawai’i Ohana (Hawai’i Ohana)
• Inter-Asian Council
• Iranian Cultural Society
• Japanese Students International
• Johns Hopkins Muslim Association
• Korean Students Association (KSA)
• Lambda Epsilon Mu
• Organización Latina Estudiantil (OLÉ)
• Singapore Students Association
• South Asian Students at Hopkins (SASH)
• Sigma Omicron Pi
• Taiwanese American Students Association
• Thai Students Association at JHU (ThSA)
• Turkish Student Association
• Vietnamese Students Association

Hopkins’ Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) is dedicated to enriching the education and experiences of the university’s students, particularly those from underrepresented populations, through events and programs. The OMA Multicultural Center is a physical space where students can study, have discussions, or attend events.

Initiatives include SEED: Students Educating and Empowering for Diversity, in which peer educators empower undergraduate students to grapple with issues like cultural knowledge and identity; Mentoring Assistance Peer Program (MAPP), a mentoring program for underrepresented first-year students; and many others.

Plans to Improve Diversity at Johns Hopkins

In 2016, the university created The JHU Roadmap on Diversity and Inclusion, which outlined the school’s priorities. 

The Faculty Diversity Initiative (FDI) is one of Hopkins’ efforts to improve diversity and inclusion. Initiated in 2015, it aims to restructure faculty recruitment and retention with an eye on advancing equity. 

According to the latest report, there has been an increase in the representation of women and those who identify as members of underrepresented racial minority groups among JHU’s graduate students, faculty, and staff. The report shows that minority staff composition grew from 37% in 2015 to 41% in 2019. It also finds that Michael Bloomberg’s $1.8 billion gift to make the university’s admissions need-blind helped increase the percentage of URM in the incoming classes from 14.9% to 32.5% between 2010 and 2019.

LGBTQ+ Inclusivity at Johns Hopkins

The Campus Pride Index rates Johns Hopkins four out of five stars, commending its LGBTQ support and institutional commitment, counseling and health, and student life in particular. 

Hopkins has a dedicated LGBTQ Life hub and office, providing information, support, events, and resources, such as:

• Peer Mentoring Program
• Identity-Based Meetups
• LGBTQ Support Group (through the Counseling Center)
• Information about gender identity
• The OUTlist (members of the JHU community who are willing to serve as mentors and network with others in the community)
• Transgender-specific resources
• Online resources

LGBTQ Life also offers Safe Zone training that helps students, faculty, and staff become better allies to the LGBTQ community and serves as a home for LGBTQA groups across the university.

To support transgender students, JHU has initiatives like enabling people to access all-gender restrooms on campus; gender-inclusive housing; transition-related health coverage; preferred name changing; and many others.

How Diverse and Inclusive is Baltimore?

Baltimore is a very diverse city, with the following racial/ethnic makeup according to Census data.

You’ll find plenty of ethnic food and shops, representing cultures from Korea, India, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Mexico, Cuba, Italy, Greece, Jamaica, and many other countries around the world.

Baltimore also has a thriving LGBTQ+ scene. In 2015, Nerdwallet ranked the city fifth in its analysis of the most LGBT-friendly cities in the U.S., saying that it was first for health care equality. 

Is Johns Hopkins the Right Fit for You?

Diversity is an important factor to consider when choosing the right college for you. Still, there’s a lot more to think about when assessing fit. Does Hopkins have programs aligned with your career ambitions and interests? Are there student groups and organizations you’d like to join? Do you like the campus and location? Will you find like-minded people?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, we recommend using CollegeVine’s free chancing engine and school search tool. We’ll help you find colleges that meet your preferences, including diversity, size, location, majors, and more. We’ll also let you know your personal chances of acceptance based on your academic and extracurricular profile, and give you tips for improving your profile.

Finally, don’t forget to take a look at our profile on Johns Hopkins to learn more about the university!