Mar 18, 2017 10:54 AM EDT By Emily Marks, UniversityHerald Reporter

Diversity and inclusion has become an important factor in colleges and universities nowadays. Higher education institutions have faced several criticisms on not providing fair access to all types of students.

Minority applicants who are looking for prospective colleges and universities should check whether an institution is able to support them and their needs. Even something as simple as visiting the school can provide a glimpse of how diverse and inclusive the campus community is.

U.S. News shared five questions on diversity and inclusion that minority students should ask their prospective college and university. it includes topics like graduation gaps and how well a school can provide safety to their students.

Ask about graduation gaps

Minority applicants should ask the institution about any gap between the overall graduation rate and the minority graduation rate in the past four to six years. This question is important because there should be more or less an equal graduation rate from majority and minority students.

Ask about campus safety

Check the data on a prospective college or university's campus safety, especially with racial conflicts and how the school handled it. Applicants can find out more about this by talking to current students.

Ask about citizenship issues

It's important for minority students to know what their prospective college or university's policies are about citizenship, especially if they are undocumented. If the school does not have one, it may be a problem.

Ask about the available support services

Inquire about support services for minority students. Does a college or university have an office specifically for helping multicultural students? This is important to know because it means that the school cares about minority students if they provide support for them.

Ask about visitation programs

Finally, ask whether the school can give time for minority applicants to talk to and meet current students. This is one of the best ways that applicants can see how living in campus would actually be like.

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