Income Inequality at America's Elite Colleges

Impact

 

David Leonhardt, in a column this year, repeated the old joke that "Harvard’s definition of diversity is having a rich kid from New York room with a rich kid from California." Citing some recent statistics about Pell Grant recipients at Harvard and other elite colleges, he argues that poorer students are being shut out of higher education, creating a campus full of rich kids. 

 

Harvard officials responded by pointing to the generous financial aid program available at Harvard.

Who is right? Do elite colleges need to make their campuses more economically diverse?

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