People are well aware of the proud tradition of UAB Birmingham serving the south since 1936, when it was founded. Many people don’t realize that UAB’s student population has a significant global impact beyond just reaching students in Alabama. This article shows that UAB students are diverse. They can also be used to model peer universities who want to emulate the University of Alabama in Birmingham’s diversity.
The most shocking statistic that UAB has to offer is its global influence. With just over 18,000 students, the total student population represents all walks of society. There are 110 countries represented in this group which some would call a surprisingly diverse student body considering Alabama’s location. The college’s demographics are not only domestic, but also reflect a diverse student body that is as varied in their thinking and backgrounds as any other comparable educational environment. This can be seen by the fact that students come from every state.
It is more than just geographical diversity that makes UAB unique. UAB is a beacon of ethnic diversity and boasts figures that are envied by colleges looking to encourage a broad range of viewpoints. The University of Alabama Birmingham has a much lower Hispanic American enrollment than the US at 14.7%. However, the 1.7% campuswide figure is comparable to the 2.9% Latino or Hispanic population of Alabama. UAB has a higher Latin Americans ratio than other nationalities. UAB’s percentage of African Americans is 27.1%, and Asian Americans are 4.4%. This makes UAB a better state-wide and nationally. Although the current UAB enrollment of Caucasian students is lower than the overall US Census National figure (73.9%) as well as the state of Alabama (71%) it is still considered to be a positive step towards fostering a more diverse student body.
An old saying goes something like this: “two heads are not better than one when they have the same mind”This is not the case for the UAB student demographics. They encourage both ethnic and geographical diversity at school so that the university’s whole will outweigh its parts.