PWI is an acronym that stands for "Predominantly White Institution." This term refers to colleges and universities in the United States where the majority of the student population is white.
It's a term that is often used in discussions about diversity and representation in higher education. For example, you might hear about the experiences of students of color at PWIs, or about initiatives to increase diversity at these institutions.
You should absolutely bear in mind that PWIs are not by design meant to exclude people of color or anyone else. The term is used to describe the demographic realities of many universities and is part of a larger conversation about inclusion and diversity in higher education.
Conversely, HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) and HSIs (Hispanic-Serving Institutions) are other categories of schools in the United States that were either established to serve historically marginalized communities or currently have a significant proportion of minority students. In this BrokeScholar article, we’re going to examine what PWI colleges are and why the term has become so central to discussions of higher education in America.
Table of Contents
What Is a PWI College?
The term "Predominantly White Institution" (PWI) is largely a response to the evolution of higher education in the US. Its prominence is tied to historical realities, educational policy, and changing societal perceptions about race and diversity. Here's a more detailed examination of how the term "PWI" became prominent in higher education and society at large:
First off, to understand the emergence of the term PWI, it's crucial to examine the parallel development of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). During the era of segregation, higher education opportunities for African Americans were severely limited. In response, HBCUs were established to cater to black students who were legally or socially prevented from attending existing universities, which were predominantly white by default. As a result, these institutions were majority white not by design or desire, but rather as a function of the racial policies of the time.
When the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other similar legislation were enacted, these laws catalyzed a profound shift in American higher education. These laws mandated desegregation and prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin in federally funded programs. As African American students gained access to previously all-white colleges and universities, the demographic makeup of these institutions began to change, but very slowly. These schools remained largely white, and thus the term "Predominantly White Institution" gained use as a way to describe these institutions in the new, desegregated educational landscape.
Emergence of the Term PWI Colleges
The emergence of the term PWI also reflects an increasing awareness and discourse about racial disparities and institutional diversity in the latter part of the 20th century. As conversations around race, diversity, and inclusion became more mainstream, the term PWI took on new significance. In the context of these conversations, the term "PWI" helped underscore the disparities between the experiences and outcomes of students of color and their white counterparts at these institutions. The phrase became a tool for highlighting these differences and advocating for more diversity and inclusion in higher education.
What’s more, the proliferation of social science research on race and higher education in the past few decades further solidified the use of the term PWI. Studies began to differentiate between the experiences of students at PWIs and those at HBCUs or other Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs). Researchers noted that students of color at PWIs often faced unique challenges, including feelings of isolation, microaggressions, or a lack of representation among faculty. As a result, "PWI" became an important term within academic research and discussion.
In more recent years, the term PWI has become even more salient in societal discussions about race and higher education, particularly in the digital age. Online platforms, social media discussions, and the Black Lives Matter movement have brought issues of racial justice and representation in higher education into the public eye. Many students of color use "PWI" to describe their experiences, create community, and advocate for change at their universities. In this way, the term PWI has moved beyond its historical and academic contexts to become a part of larger societal conversations about race, diversity, and inclusion in higher education.
Examples of PWI Colleges
The problem with making a simple list of PWI colleges is the fact that most, if not the majority, of colleges in the US are predominantly white. And some universities that could easily be perceived by the general public as being a typical PWI college, for example Harvard University, in reality are not: According to National Center of Education Statistics (NCES) data, the race/ethnicity breakdown of Harvard’s undergraduate students is 34% white, which is a plurality not a majority. On the other hand, a large and well-known private nonprofit college, such as Boston College, does have a majority white (57%) undergraduate population. A great counterpoint to a “typical” PWI college that’s also not an HBCU or MSI is the University of Hawaii at Manoa, a large public state school, which has an undergraduate population whose largest races/ethnicities are 34% Asian, 25% Two or more races, and 20% White.
Considering that defining what school is or is not a PWI college is subjective, and based heavily on the history of these colleges, trying to find an objective way to denote what qualifies as a PWI college is difficult. We decided to source enrollment data from the NCES, filtering for colleges that are either four-year public or four-year private not-for-profit institutions that award bachelor’s degrees and having at least 1,000 undergraduate students. We used 70% of the undergraduate race/ethnicity enrollment being classified as White as our objective threshold.
Here's a non-exhaustive list of PWI colleges based on have 70% or more of their undergraduate race/ethnicity classifying as White:
Alabama PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
76% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
73% |
Alaska PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Arizona PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Arkansas PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
72% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
80% |
California PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Colorado PWI Colleges
Connecticut PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
78% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
Delaware PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
D.C. PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Florida PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
76% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
Georgia PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
70% |
Hawaii PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Idaho PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
Illinois PWI Colleges
| % White | |
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
Indiana PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
85% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
Iowa PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
86% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
Kansas PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
81% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
75% |
Kentucky PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
88% |
|
|
87% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
Louisiana PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
71% |
Maine PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
86% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
73% |
Maryland PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
Massachusetts PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
88% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
70% |
Michigan PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
86% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
Minnesota PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
83% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
Mississippi PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
77% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
70% |
Missouri PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
86% |
|
|
Central Methodist University-College of Graduate and Extended Studies |
84% |
|
83% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
Montana PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
84% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
72% |
Nebraska PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
72% |
Nevada PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
New Hampshire PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
86% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
New Jersey PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
98% |
New Mexico PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
New York PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
100% |
|
|
96% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
North Carolina PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
74% |
North Dakota PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
86% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
74% |
Ohio PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
91% |
|
|
89% |
|
|
87% |
|
|
87% |
|
|
87% |
|
|
87% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
70% |
Oklahoma PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Oregon PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Pennsylvania PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
91% |
|
|
86% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
Rhode Island PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
82% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
73% |
South Carolina PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
83% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
71% |
South Dakota PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
87% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
80% |
Tennessee PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
89% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
73% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
Texas PWI Colleges
|
None with 70% or more White |
Utah PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
84% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
70% |
|
|
70% |
Vermont PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
83% |
|
|
83% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
71% |
Virginia PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
81% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
74% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
71% |
|
|
70% |
Washington PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
73% |
|
|
70% |
West Virginia PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
89% |
|
|
84% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
79% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
78% |
|
|
73% |
Wisconsin PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
89% |
|
|
89% |
|
|
88% |
|
|
87% |
|
|
86% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
85% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
82% |
|
|
81% |
|
|
80% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
76% |
|
|
75% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
72% |
|
|
70% |
Wyoming PWI Colleges
|
% White |
|
|
83% |
|
|
77% |
|
|
77% |
The Bottom Line on PWI Colleges
Predominantly White Institutions (PWI) colleges, characterized primarily by their majority white student populations, have long been integral parts of the higher education landscape. Like all institutions of higher learning, attending a PWI can come with significant financial demands. These financial burdens can sometimes deter prospective students, particularly those from underrepresented communities, from pursuing their academic dreams at these institutions.
Fortunately, there's a silver lining. To foster diversity and increase access to quality education for all, many PWIs offer scholarships specifically tailored for underrepresented students. These financial aids aim to level the playing field, making the college experience more accessible and less burdensome. Furthermore, the broad array of student discounts available, ranging from textbooks to housing, can further ease the financial strain. When combined, scholarships and student discounts offer a beacon of hope, ensuring that finances don't stand in the way of a student's aspirations at a PWI or any other institution.
