Gonzaga University Top Questions

Describe the students at your school.

Emma

I think that GU is pretty mixed socio-economically, but there are a lot of upper middle class white people here. There are diversity groups on campus and the Hawaiian Pacific Islanders group and the Filipino American Student Union are very active on campus. I think that people from a very liberal place would feel a bit disappointed, since most of the students on campus are conservatives. Most students are from WA and OR, and there are a lot of really wealthy kids on campus, but also a lot without any money.

Shelley

I am a distance degree student so I wear my pajamas most of the time, I do not know what others are wearing when they are "in class". This question does not apply to my situation very well.

Allie

Gonzaga is not diverse at all, but I am not aware of discrimination of any sort taking place here. Most people are really nice and friendly. Students are always excited to work together both in class and in extracurricular organizations. I think this attitude comes from the school being so small.

Amber

There are people of many races and backgrounds, but the most dominant by far is white, upper-middle class (ie: have lots of money). Gonzaga has really good scholarships for those of us with no money though. There are many people who are politically active in almost everything. Social justice is really huge. Sometimes there is a huge lack of dialogue though and people can be offensive and disrepectful of other people's views. This is not a majority though and can primarily be seen in just a few people who are truly activists, but seem to think the rights they are pushing for should restrict that rights of other sides. There is usually respectful interaction between students though.

Sarah

Most of the students at Gonzaga have the same outlook on life. Most are Christian or Catholic, upper-class, so they have similar upbrinings and views. And like every school there are social groups as well. There are the athletes (who only hang out with other athletes), the art students, the hippies, and student government (aka the students involved in everything). Everyone has their group of friends, but there are some stereotypical groups as well. No one wouldn't let you into their "group," but pepole tend to stick to their group. When it comes to diversity, there's not a lot. But everyone it active in some way. Since it's an election year, many are involved in the election. And the student body is diverse in who they support. It's not an overly liberal or conservative student body, even though the campus is conservative.

Amy

Pretty homogenous. A typical 'Gonzaga Girl' is a really skinny blonde, wearing way to much make-up and the latest clothing trend.

Elisabeth

Mostly white wealthy people. But there are some from other classes too.

Heather

There are a lot of white students, and there appears to be a lot of rich students, however, this is not true - there is a good socio-economic balance between those who are really rich and those who are here on financial aid. Most of the students are from the west coast (California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana) However, whenever we meet a student from somewhere really far away, the south or the east coast, students get excited - its fun to meet people from different places. What is great about Gonzaga is that all students interact with each other. There is not a lot of snobbery here, and those students who are snobs tend to have only a small circle of friends because people do not want to hang out with them. Gonzaga students are really friendly in general. Students are really casual and laid back. It is rare for people to get dressed up - Jeans and a tee-shirt are normal attire and if you are walking through campus during morning class times you will see many students in sweats.

Brandon

As i was saying slightly earlier, the diversity on campus is there. There is no discrimination for any of these groups, they are all represented on campus.

Sara

The student body at GU is extremely friendly. There is no much racial range which can be disappointing. Everyone on campus is very supportive of each individual and you can always find your nitch.

Ryan

We are a unified community and care about everyone on campus. Everyone knows everyone around campus either by living with them or through classes.

Andy

There are few politically active Gonzaga students. We're not activists here at GU. Generally, the students have political opinions, but they are not very active, and sometimes they are not very informed. There are probably more liberals than conservatives, but I would say that the majority are centrists on either side.

Matt

Gonzaga is very tolerant and accepting of any race, religion, or culture. Most of the students are from the Washington, Oregon, and Southern California areas. Students share the same experiences and are able to bond and grow together. There are plenty of opportunities and events for all types of people from halo tournaments to intramurals and the sports teams. All the students are open and want to get to know one another and continue the college experience.

reese

No diversity, and generally love to just get drunk in their dorm rooms and not go out, not an exciting group of people. However you will make some great friends on account of all the boredom.

katie

Student body is really representative and when we have vote week I can really see that people want to be a part of it. Most Bulldogs are from Washington but there is a pretty good mix. Most students dress extremely professional and are integrated both by gender and race.

Leah

Despite the fact that Gonzaga's exterior appears to be a really socially conservative school, all groups are represented. We do have a gay-straight alliance group on campus which is very active in student life. There are also just a full spectrum of campus organizations that deal with race and religion. Students here are moderatly politically active - there have been known to be on campus debates, we have a really active debate team. I do think the student body is right leaning when it comes to politics. Most of Gonzaga's student body is from the Pacific Northwest in the Idaho, Washington, Oregon category. Tons of students also come from California.

Mark

My experiences have been positive with all of them. I think a transfer student from another school who has to live off campus like I did would feel out of place. I had to live off campus because I was a transfer junior student and Gonzaga didn't have anywhere for me to stay other than one of it's houses off campus. It was extremely difficult to meet people...it took me about a whole semester to actually meet people my own age. I was thrown in with the freshman during their welcome week and I felt like that was a little inappropriate. I was over all of that and I was thrown in with a bunch of kids straight out of high school. Lame! Students wear clothes to class. Dining hall...Crew team, skateboarders, knights, loud freshmen. Most of Gonzaga students are from WA., OR., CA.. Middle class is the most prevalent maybe even upper-middle class. Students are somewhat politically aware although most of them are very liberal left wingers.

Terry

The student body at Gonzaga encompasses students from all over the country and the entire world, there are many exchange students that are welcomed in the student body from everyone. The only people that are out of place are the small groups of asian people whom I have never seen speaking english. Cliques are no where near as common as they were in high school. People just hang out.

Patricia

The typical Gonzaga student is: white, middle class, business major, parties one night a week, is somewhat liberal, plays at least one intramural, shops at Nordstroms, is involved in some sort of club or organization, participates in service, is nice, outgoing, and intellectual, and will end up meeting their future spouse here (70{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} do!). The campus is opening it's doors to being more diverse, and I feel like there is no difference that is really not excepted (though if you are ethnically different, LGBT, or not Christian, you may find it hard to find people like you). Different types of students interact all the time, except for students from different cultures studying abroad who tend to stick together. The dining hall is a great experience, and I always know one third of the people really well, have met or interacted with another third, and have yet to meet the final third. It's a great breakdown.

Leah

Tons of stuff to do...GET INVOLVED

Kristen

Most kids are the white, Northface wearing types. Everyone's very sporty and cares about their health. Since Gonzaga is a private school, most students are middle class or upper middle class. Half of Gonzaga students are from Washington, and at least a fourth are from Oregon and California. We have a lot of west coasters here.

Brittany

I feel very integrated in the Gonzaga Community on and off of campus. There are so many programs, groups, events, and activities to get involved in that it's hard to not meet people and be involved. I found it very suprising coming here and seeing so many people that are active and involved in some aspect of Gonzaga. There are clubs and even houses built for groups on campus. There is a house called Unity House that involves students of all ethicities to come together and hang out. They have dinners, dances, and meetings and this is very common in many groups on campus. There are so many opportunities; no one should feel left out here.

Blake

The student body of Gonzaga is very down to earth. I love Gonzaga for this reason. It is totally acceptable to wear sweats to class without being judged. I would say the student body is very laid back and accepting of different people on campus.

Paige

What student body? We have GSBA who rule the school, but they are really the only people who participate in any sort of campus activities or administration.

Cassandra

There isn't a large population of racial minorities on campus. There are clubs affiliated with them such as the Black Student Union, Hawaiin/Pacific Islander Club, or La Raza Latina. I have several friends that are involved in these clubs and they are very active on campus and have a large amount of group members that are from all different racial backgrounds. Students on campus are politically aware and the majority tends to lean more liberal. The students do talk about their future careers, but almost everyone I know is planning on some kind of graduate school.

Elizabeth

I think that anyone too liberal or open minded might not be that happy about coming to this school. There are a good number of teachers here who are left wing but for the most part the students I have met and lived around were conservative and somewhat judgmental about anyone who doesn't share their beliefs. But for the most part everyone is pretty nice and "normal" with their American Eagle clothes and taste for country and rap music.