The Most Diverse Schools in Florida

Diversity is one of the most important aspects of life to which all people should be exposed. When we’re constantly exposed to people from different backgrounds, we can learn more about each other, ourselves, and the world around us. Kids can benefit from being in a diverse school because they can learn these important lessons early in life. That’s why, when you’re choosing a school, diversity can be just as important as academics. Similar to how we’ve written about diversity in Michigan and Texas, we will tell you about the most diverse schools in Florida.

To determine the most diverse schools in the state, we used multiple educational sources, including Public School Review and Niche. We also took a close look at each school’s diversity score. That number takes into account how evenly distributed each school’s students are and the many different races that are represented. In addition to cultural background, we’ll also look at factors such as student ages, political beliefs, gender, and more. As parents, you can use this list to make the best decisions for your child’s education.

Elementary School: Clark Elementary School

The first school on this list of the most diverse schools in Florida is Clark Elementary School, which is located in Tampa. This is one of the best schools in the area. The school ranks in the top 10% of all Florida schools when it comes to test scores. Of all the students, 88% are considered proficient in math, and 76% are proficient in reading/language arts. These are both impressive numbers when compared to many other schools in the country. Part of the reason is that there’s a student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1, which is better than the state average of 1:17. That means the students are getting individualized attention. As far as diversity, the school is doing quite well. Minority enrollment is 75% at Clark Elementary, and the school has a diversity score of 0.79, which is above the state average of 0.70. Here’s a breakdown: 54% of the students are male, 46% are female, 24% are Asian, 22% are Hispanic, 21% are Black, 25% are White, and 8% are two or more races. All in all, this is one of the best schools in the state.

Elementary School: Tampa Palms Elementary School

Also located in Tampa, this school serves close to 780 students in grades prekindergarten-5th grade. This is another highly-performing institution that finds a place in the top 20% of all schools in Florida when it comes to test scores. At this school, math proficiency is at 72%, and reading/language arts proficiency is at 66%. The student-to-teacher ratio here is also 15:1, which is better than the state average. When it comes to diversity, minority enrollment is 75%, which is above the state average of 76%. The school also boasts a diversity score of 0.79, which is above average. The breakdown is as follows: Of the students, 53% are male, 47% are female, 1% are American Indian, 25% are Asian, 21% are Hispanic, 22% are Black, 25% are White, and 6% are two or more races. There are a lot of great attributes about this school and the diversity means a lot of good ideas as well, so it’s worth looking into.

Elementary School: Chiles Elementary School

The diversity is among the many selling points of Chiles Elementary School. The institution currently has a minority enrollment of 69%, which is above the state average. It also has a diversity score of 0.78, which is above the state average. When broken down, the diversity goes as follows: The male/female numbers are 50/50. Also, 1% of the students are American Indian, 25% are Asian, 20% are Hispanic, 14% are Black, 31% are White, and 9% are multiracial. In addition to the diversity, the school also has a lot to offer academically. Currently, the school has a place in the top 10% of all Florida schools when it comes to test scores. Also, 84% of the students are proficient in math, and 78% are proficient in reading skills. That’s partly due to the ambition of the teaching staff. Currently, the student-to-teacher ratio is 17:1, which is in line with the state average. 

Elementary School: Heritage Elementary School

The final school in this category is Heritage Elementary School, which is also in Tampa. It’s a smaller school with less than 500 students at the time of this writing. That fact is helped by a student-to-teacher ratio of 13:1, which means that the students are getting a great personalized experience. That’s a big part of the reason why the school falls into the top 20% of schools in Florida for test scores. Plus, 73% of students are proficient in math, and 66% are proficient in reading. This school also has a diversity score of 0.77, and 67% of the enrollment is made up of minorities. To break it down, that includes 53% male and 47% female students. Also, 10% of the students are Asian, 18% are Hispanic, 28% are Black, 33% are White, and 11% are multiracial. In the end, this is a very welcoming school with many bright students.

Middle School: Benito Middle School

We begin the middle school portion of this list of the most diverse schools in Florida with Benito Middle School. Located in Tampa, this school has over 1,000 students in grades 6-8. It’s a larger school with a minority enrollment of 73% and there is a diversity score of 0.78, which is above the state average of 0.70. The demographics go as follows: 53% of the school is male, 47% is female, 13% of the students are Asian, 25% are Hispanic, 27% are Hispanic, 27% are White, and 8% are two or more races. Academically speaking, the students do very well. The school falls into the top 30% of all schools in Florida when it comes to test scores. Also, 64% of students are proficient in math, and 61% are proficient in reading and language arts. Both scores are above the average level in the state. All in all, there’s a lot to be excited about at Benito Middle School.

Middle School: Sanford Middle School

This school, located in Sanford, FL, is a larger institution with 1,372 students in grades 6-8. Though there is a large enrollment, 70% of it is made up of minorities and the school has a diversity score of 0.77. That’s higher than the 0.70 average of the state. To break that down, 56% of the students are male, 44% are female, 23% are Asian, 23% are Hispanic, 19% are Black, 30% are White, and 5% are two or more races. Academically speaking, the students perform well. 67% are proficient in math, 65% are proficient in reading/language arts, and the school is found within the top 30% of all Florida schools for testing. The student-to-teacher ratio is also decent at 18:1, which is just slightly above the state average. This is a great middle school that will teach your child the basics before they move on to higher learning.

Middle School: Williams Middle Magnet School

One of the very best schools in Florida is this diverse middle school in Tampa. The students at this school achieve incredible results. Of the 835 students, 80% are proficient in math, and 80% are proficient in reading/language arts, which is well above the state average. The school is also within the top 10% of all schools in the entire state when it comes to test scores. They do all of this with a student-to-teacher ratio of 20:1, which is above the state average of 17:1. The school is also winning when it comes to diversity. Currently, minority enrollment is 83%, and the school boasts a diversity score of 0.76, which is above the state average of 0.70. That breaks down as follows: 53% of students are male, 47% of students are female, 28% are Asian, 16% are Hispanic, 33% are Black, 17% are White, and 6% are two or more races. This is a great school with a lot of promise.

Middle School: Liberty Middle School

Finally, in the middle school category, we have Liberty Middle School. This is another good school with close to 1,100 students in grades 6-8. While this school has many great aspects, a big selling point is the diversity. Currently, minority enrollment is 78%, and the school boasts a diversity score of 0.76. Here’s the breakdown: 54% of students are male, 46% are female, 13% are Asian, 34% are Hispanic, 26% are Black, 22% are White, and 5% are multiracial. Academically speaking, the school does well. It calls within the top 50% of all Florida schools when it comes to test scores. Over 50% of the students are also proficient in math and reading/language arts, which is not as good as some other schools but better than many others. Overall, there’s a lot to be excited about this up-and-coming school.

High School: Suncoast Community High School

One of the most diverse schools in Florida in the high school category is Suncoast Community High School. This is an incredible school that’s doing well in multiple metrics. Academically, this institution is one of the best. The school falls into the top 5% of all schools in the state when it comes to test scores, meaning it’s an elite school. As far as regular studies, 81% of the students are proficient in math, and 93% are proficient in reading/language arts. Both metrics are far above the averages for the state, which are closer to 50%. The diversity is another selling point. Minority enrollment is 66% of the student body, and the school holds a diversity score of 0.76, which is above the state average of 0.70. Here’s how the diversity breaks down: 45% of the students are female, 55% are male, 16% are Asian, 23% are Hispanic, 22% are Black, 34% are White, and 5% are multiracial. It’s a great school in West Palm Beach.

High School: Dr Kiran C Patel High School

Next, we have Dr Kiran C Patel High School in Tampa. This school is a bit different as it has a project-based learning program, so it’s worth looking into if you want that for your child. The school is very diverse. It has a minority enrollment of 65% and a diversity score of 0.75, both of which are better than the state average. That looks like this: 51% of students are male, 49% are female, 12% are Asian, 27% are Hispanic, 20% are Black, 35% are White, and 6% are two or more races. Academically speaking, the school falls in the top 30% of all Florida schools when it comes to testing. Additionally, 61% of the students are proficient in math, and 68% are proficient in reading. Those are both above the state average. This is a great school for students and parents looking for something a bit different.

High School: Seminole High School

Seminole High School is a large institution with over 4,000 students. Being a large school, there are plenty of opportunities for diversity, and that’s one of the things that Seminole High School does best. Minority enrollment is 70% here, which is above the state average. They also have a diversity score of 0.70, which is ahead of the curve. The demographics break down as follows: 47% of students are male, 53% are female, 10% are Asian, 26% are Hispanic, 29% are Black, 30% are White, 1% are Hawaiian, and 4% are considered multiracial. There is some room for improvement when it comes to academics. The school currently falls in the bottom 50% of all schools in the state when it comes to test scores. Also, only 37% of students are proficient in math, and 51% are proficient in reading. However, the school has a lot going for it, so it’s worth a look.

High School: Sandalwood High School

Finally, in the high school category, we have Sandalwood High School, which is located in Jacksonville, FL. This school has a great staff and teachers who want the best for the nearly 2,800 students. Currently, the school falls in the top 50% of all schools in the state for test scores. Also, 57% of students are proficient in math, which is above the state average. However, reading/language arts proficiency is 47%, which is slightly below the state average of 47%. With that said, the school does well with diversity. The school has a diversity score of 0.74, which is better than the state average. Also, minority enrollment makes up 62% of the students. Broken down, that looks like the following: 47% of the students are female, 53% are male, 7% are Asian, 22% are Hispanic, 26% are Black, 38% are White, and 7% are two or more races. The school also participates in the National School Lunch Program.

College: Saint Leo University

Many colleges also make the list of the most diverse schools in Florida. In this case, it starts with Saint Leo University. This is a four-year school in the city of Saint Leo. It’s a private Catholic university that is known as one of the most diverse colleges in the country. It’s also a college that’s known for its superb programs, including criminal justice and business majors. The university currently has about 4,000 undergrad students, and they’re quite diverse. To start, there’s diversity in the ages of the students. Currently, 18% are between the ages of 18-19, and 53% are over the age of 25. As far as racial backgrounds, the numbers look as follows: 16% are Black, 1% are Asian, 21% are Hispanic, 33% are White, and 2% are two or more races. There is also some diversity when it comes to political affiliation. 13% consider themselves to be conservative, 25% are moderate, and 13% consider themselves to be liberal. There’s a lot of diversity at this great school.

College: University of South Florida

This college in Tampa gets rave reviews in a number of metrics. The school-rating website Niche gives this school high marks for academics, athletics, and the quality of the campus. They even rate this university as the 20th best public university in the country. Many students go here for the criminal justice, education, and information technology majors, which are also highly rated. There are over 30,000 students on campus and the environment is quite diverse. Females make up 57% of the campus versus 43%, of males. Most of the students are under the age of 24, while 12% are over the age of 25. As far as racial diversity, it looks like this: 8% are Black, 9% are Asian, 21% are Hispanic, 45% are White, and 4% are multiracial. Politically, 11% are conservative, 29% are moderate, and 23% are very liberal. There’s something at this school for everyone.

College: University of Miami

Niche.com gives the University of Miami an “A+” score for the many things it does right. The school gets high marks for academics, athletics, the professors, and the safety of the campus. This university is particularly successful with many college majors. It’s rated #4 in the country for the sports management program, #7 for the kinesiology and physical therapy programs, and #8 for the criminal justice major. The school is on this list because it’s also quite diverse. There are currently over 12,000 undergrads at the University of Miami. They come from a variety of families and household income levels. Over 16% of students are from homes that earn less than $75k, while 51% are from homes that earn more than $110k. As far as race, here’s how it breaks down: 8% are Black, 5% are Asian, 24% are Hispanic, 4% are multiracial, and 48% are White. Overall, the university provides a nice variety in a number of metrics.

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