The Most Diverse Schools in Michigan

If you’re moving to Michigan or your child is coming of age, and you’re looking for the best school for them, then you need to do your research. At MomsWhoThink, we want to help you to make the best decision. That’s why we have provided many important details about the schools in the state, including the largest schools in Michigan and the worst schools across many different metrics. We will continue to share the important facts you need to know by telling you about the most diverse schools in Michigan.

Diversity is important in a school for many reasons. To start, when your children take classes with kids from diverse backgrounds and are taught by teachers from different walks of life, they learn to be tolerant and work as a team. Then, as adults, they will continue these positive trends. Plus, it’s important that kids get a wide variety of experiences during their youth. In order to learn about the most diverse schools in Michigan, we reviewed several sources, including Niche.com and Public School Review. We also went by the diversity score of each institution. We believe this list will give you a great snapshot of the schools in your state so you can make the best decisions for your children.

Elementary School: Townline Elementary School

One of the most diverse schools in Michigan in the elementary school category is Townline Elementary in Grand Rapids, which boasts a diversity score of 0.80, which is above the state average. To start, there’s a student breakdown of 47% females and 53% males in the school. When looking at further metrics, we see that 14% of students identify as Asian, 27% are Hispanic, 22% are Black, 22% are White, and 15% are two or more races. Overall, minority enrollment at Townline School is at 78%. While this school has great scores for diversity, the academics are a different story. The school currently falls in the bottom 50% when it comes to overall test scores. Currently, the number of students who are proficient in math is about 35% and proficiency in reading and language arts is at 40%. Consider all of these facts when thinking about the enrollment of your child.

Elementary School: Lyons School

Lyons School in Lansing, MI, is also at the top of the list when it comes to the most diverse schools in the state. The school has over 190 students that have various backgrounds and experiences. Currently, the school is made up of 53% female students and 47% male. The diversity score at Lyons School is 0.79, which is well above the Michigan state average of 0.55. When you break it down, 11% of the student population is Asian, 24% is Hispanic, 23% is Black, 26% is White, and 16% are two or more races. Although this is an elementary school, the school ranks in the bottom 50% when it comes to testing. Also, math, reading, and language arts proficiency is between 15 and 19%. Compare that to the state average, which is 34% for math and 45% for reading and language arts. A final note that you may want to consider is that this school does participate in the National School Lunch Program, and 90% of students qualify for free lunch. These are all factors to keep in mind when choosing a school.

Elementary School: Discovery Elementary School

Another one of the most diverse schools in Michigan is Discovery Elementary in Grand Rapids. This school does quite well when it comes to academics, as it ranks in the top 50% of Michigan schools when it comes to test scores. Further, 45% of the students are proficient in math, and 52% are proficient in reading and language arts. Although 53% of the students are male and 47% are female, which is not so unusual for many schools, 71% of the student enrollment includes minorities. The breakdown is as follows: 16% of the students are Asian, 18% are Hispanic, 28% are Black, 29% are White, and 9% are two or more races. Finally, this school participates in the National School Lunch Program if that’s something you are interested in. This school is a great example of how a school firing on all cylinders can do wonders for your kids.

Elementary School: Meadowlawn Elementary School

Another diverse school in Grand Rapids is Meadowlawn Elementary. Of all the student enrollment, 82% come from diverse backgrounds, which is above the state average. The diversity numbers are impressive at Meadowlan: 1% of the students are American Indian, 23% are Asian, 18% are Hispanic, 33% are Black, 18% are White, and 7% are two or more races. Finally, 51% of the students are female and 49% are male. Overall, the school boasts a diversity score of 0.78, which is higher than the 0.55 state average. Break it down to 82% of the student body, which is made up of minority groups. From an academic standpoint, Meadowland falls within the top 50% of schools in the state when it comes to test scores and math proficiency. They’re not bad in the realms of reading and science proficiency either. Overall, this school has a lot going for it.

Middle School: Sheridan Road

Entering into the middle school category, we have Sheridan Road. The school is listed as number one when it comes to the most diverse schools in Michigan with a diversity score of 0.77. That’s above the state average of 0.55. Minority enrollment is 77% at Sheridan Road, and the numbers break down as follows: 1% of the students are American Indian, 5% are Asian, 26% are Hispanic, 31% are Black, 23% are White, and 14% are two or more races. Finally, the gender breakdown is 58% male and 42% female. From an academic standpoint, there is room for improvement. The school ranks in the bottom 50% of all schools in the state. There’s a 4% math proficiency in the school and a 12% proficiency in reading and language arts. The teacher-to-student ratio is also a bit high at 21:1, so consider all these facts before enrolling.

Middle School: Pinewood Middle School

Pinewood Middle School in Grand Rapids is another very diverse middle school. The school has a 0.76 diversity score, which is well above the state average. This is a medium-sized school that has over 800 students from various backgrounds. To be more specific, 48% are female, 52% are male, 12% are Asian, 17% are Hispanic, 35% are Black, 26% are White, and 10% are two or more races. Overall, 74% of the enrollment is made of minorities. That is higher than the 36% average in the rest of the state. On the academic side, the school falls in the bottom 50% of schools in the state when it comes to testing. More specially, 29% of the students are proficient in math, and 47% are proficient in reading and language arts. The teacher-to-student ratio is 19:1. It’s a little higher but with some help from parents, the kids can learn a lot here.

Middle School: Valleywood Middle School

Valleywood Middle School is another of the most diverse schools in Michigan. The school has over 500 students in grades 6-8. The school is quite diverse. In fact, 79% of the student enrollment is made up of minorities, which is high above the state average. For a more specific breakdown, 46% are female, 54% are male, 1% are American Indian, 10% are Asian, 21% are Hispanic, 37% are Black, 21% are White, and 10% are two or more races. Academically speaking, the school does fall within the bottom 50% of all Michigan schools when it comes to test scores. Also, math proficiency is down to 18%, and reading and language arts proficiency is 30%. However, the teacher-to-student ratio is 15:1, which means that the students get a good amount of individualized attention. This is a good sign for kids who need a bit more focus during their school days.

High School: Huron High School

On the topic of high schools, Huron High School is amongst the most diverse schools in Michigan. Located in Ann Arbor, this is an excellent school that ranks in the top 20% of all schools in the state when it comes to testing. Overall, the number of students with proficiency in math is 51% and proficiency in reading and language arts is 69%. There’s also a teacher-to-student ratio of 14:1, which is better than the state average. That means the kids get a lot of individualized attention, which is great for learning. As far as diversity, the school has a diversity score of 0.77, and 65% of the student body is made up of minority enrollment. To break it down further, 52% of the students are male, 48% are female, 19% are Asian, 12% are Hispanic, 22% are Black, 35% are White, and 12% are two or more races. Overall, the school has a lot going for it.

High School: East Kentwood High School

Located in Grand Rapids, MI, East Kentwood High School has over 2,000 students, and the population there is quite diverse. In fact, 72% of the student enrollment is made up of minorities and the school has a diversity score of 0.77. Here is how the numbers break down: 14% of the students are Asian, 18% are Hispanic, 32% are Black, 28% are White, and 8% are two or more races. Finally, 51% of the school is female and 49% is male. From an academic standpoint, the school falls in the bottom 50% of all Michigan schools when it comes to testing. Math proficiency at the school is at 32% and reading/language arts proficiency is at 44%. Also, the teacher-to-student ratio is 19:1, which is above the state average of 17:1. These are all factors to keep in mind.

High School: Eastern High School

Another of the most diverse schools in Michigan is Eastern High School, which boasts a diversity score of 0.75. Students here range from grades 7-12, and there are 1,049 students. The school falls in the bottom 50% of all Michigan schools when it comes to test scores. Further, 7% of students are proficient in math, and 25% are proficient in reading and language arts. Part of this may be due to the fact that the teacher-to-student ratio is 21:1, which means the students can potentially get less individualized attention. The school is very diverse, with 77% of students falling into minority groups. 3% of students are Asian, 27% are Hispanic, 35% are Black, 23% are White, and 12% are two or more races. 48% of the student body is female, and 52% are male. These are all good factors to consider when choosing a public school. Compare this with other schools in the area.

High School: Everett High School

With over 1,200 students, Everett High School is a large school that serves students in grades 7-12. The school has a student-to-teacher ratio of 20:1, which means that the students don’t get as much individualized attention as at other schools. As a result, 8% of students are proficient in math and 25% are proficient in reading. Overall, the school falls in the bottom 50% of the state when it comes to overall testing. On a better note, the school is very diverse. In fact, minority enrollment is at 79%. To break it down, there’s a 50/50 split between male and female students. Also, 8% of students are Asian, 18% are Hispanic, 42% are Black, 21% are White, and 11% are two or more races. Consider all of these factors when choosing a high school for your kids, and complete further research if necessary.

College: Andrews University

On the topic of colleges and universities, we have Andrews University as one of the most diverse schools in Michigan. According to the school-ranking website Niche, Andrews is the #1 most diverse school in the state. The site gives the school an A+ rating when it comes to diversity. The university also ranks high for being one of the best Christian colleges in America and for being one of the best schools for religious studies in the country. As far as student diversity is considered, the numbers break down as follows: 16% of the students are Black, 13% are Asian, 19% are Hispanic, 23% are White, and 20% are international. When polled, 86% of the students said that they felt that the student body was diverse and the atmosphere was welcoming. These are all good factors to consider when choosing a university for higher learning.

College: University of Michigan – Ann Arbor

In addition to being ranked by Niche.com as one of the most diverse colleges in Michigan, the University of Michigan is also ranked as one of the top public universities in general. The school basically gets straight-A’s across the board in a variety of metrics, including being one of the best colleges for education in America and one of the best colleges in the country for those majoring in Sports Management, among others. The 31,000+ student body is also very diverse. When broken down, 35% of the students are female, 4% are Black, 18% are Asian, 8% are Hispanic, 51% are White, and 9% are international. Many of the students also come from a variety of ages, household incomes, and political ideologies. While many students are liberal, there is a fair share that is conservative or moderate. Overall, this is a great college for a variety of students.

College: Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo College is another one of the most diverse schools in Michigan. Located in Kalamazoo, MI, this school gets an “A” score for diversity from Niche. The school is on many top lists for a variety of metrics, including being one of the best colleges for chemistry and physicals majors in America. The school also holds the rating as one of the best liberal arts colleges in the country. At this time, there are 1,190 undergrads at Kalamazoo College, many of whom come from diverse backgrounds. To be more specific, there are more female students than there are males. As far as racial background, 5% of students are Black, 6% are Asian, 16% are Hispanic, 60% are White, and 5% are international. The students here also come from a variety of household incomes, with many coming from homes that earn lower incomes and others that earn over 110k. Overall, this is a great school for the liberal arts.

College: Michigan State University (MSU)

The final entry on our list of the most diverse schools in Michigan is Michigan State University, commonly known as MSU, which is located in the town of East Lansing. This is a highly-rated school in almost every metric. It gets special mention for being one of the best schools for its athletics, agricultural sciences, and communications programs, ranking as some of the best in the nation. Then there is the diversity of MSU. There are over 38,000 students currently enrolled in the college and they come from many diverse backgrounds. Of all the students, 52% are female, 48% are male, 7% are Black, 8% are Asian, 6% are Hispanic, 67% are White, and 6% are international. There are also diverse political ideologies at MSU. While 25% of students consider themselves to be liberal, 11% are conservative, and 26% are moderate. So, it’s safe to say that MSU is a melting pot of cultures.

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