Does Campus Diversity lead to Diversity in On-Campus Intimate Relationships and
Abstract
While campus diversity is seen as an important part of the overall experience of college students, little research has examined whether it actually leads to close interracial friendships and romantic relationships. Undergraduates from an ethnically diverse campus (N = 155), and an homogenous campus (N = 51) completed a brief questionnaire asking about their romantic partners, and closeness to their three best friends on campus. Although students on the diverse campus reported significantly higher rates of interracial dating (36.8% versus 14.8 %), most had met their romantic partners off campus. The prevalence of diverse friendships did not differ on the two campuses (36.6% versus 34.5 %), and most students on the diverse campus characterized their closest interracial friendships as just a friend from class. The incidence of diverse friendships was not related to years spent on campus. Findings suggest that campus diversity may not be enough to promote diversity in student relationships.