I've been to multiple community colleges, and I've also been to private universities, and also worked at or toured private universities. Let me compare my community college anecdote with the private Ivy one.
Students at community college:
Private Ivy university (which cost almost $60k/year and has 5% acceptance rate):
Money makes a difference. I think money and class makes more difference than race.
Students at community college:
- More obesity, even morbid obesity
- Lots of bad or missing teeth, recessed and overbite jawlines
- A lot of black and latino students compared to white students
- White students come from the rural area and have an accent, and often obese or at least "big", with dyed hair with roots
- Immigrants from obscure countries that most Americans wouldn't know like Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia
- The way the students dress is more casual or at least different compared to private university students.
- Many students wear clothes with slogans, words, or have characters from movies, shows, and cartoons. Even adults wear clothes with random stuff like franchised cartoon characters, random cartoon animals, logos for non-fashion companies (like a truck company)
- More fun-colored dyed hair, hair dyed in natural colors have root outgrowths, more students with facial piercings
- The immigrant students from asia and middle east are generally slimmer than the US-born white, black, and latino population - these latter populations had more obesity compared to the immigrants.
- Students at the community college have other responsibilities outside of school such as having a job (or two), full time jobs, children
- Student pop is nontraditional, ranging from 18 year olds all the way to 40-something. Many people in their late 20's and 30's take the same class as the teenager
- Student population very chill and easygoing
Private Ivy university (which cost almost $60k/year and has 5% acceptance rate):
- Students usually don't have jobs, school is their main focus
- Student population is more "conventional", as in not as many nontraditional students. Population is younger, like between 18-25. Grad school students are like 23-35
- Students are more outspoken and more likely to speak their minds, they try to stand out. Community college students were more quiet in class generally and trying NOT to stand out
- No obesity, the "biggest" women were the handful of black girls who were "thick" but still had tiny waists and slender neck and jawline, and conventionally attractive faces
- Mostly whites, east asians, arabs, and south asians/indians. I was surprised at all the immigrant European white students at this university, they barely exist in the community college setting except a handful of Eastern Europeans from like Russia or Ukraine
- The white students are particularly thin compared to community college white students, east asians were all thin and well dressed and fashionable
- The white people are generally taller than the ones at community college
- Immigrants are from wealthy countries in the middle east, and asian countries like China and Korea
- Better facial structure compared to CC students no matter what race, and I never saw anyone with bad teeth
- Not a lot of outward designer logos or brands, except on a handful of the (likely Chinese) immigrant and Arab students. US-born East Asians are more low key
- Nobody wore clothes with slogans and words on them
- The quality of the clothes that the students wear are better material wise, and seem more complex with knits and subtle patterns
- No facial piercings, maybe they don't do it or they only do it outside of school. Less tattoos, especially on people not white or black
- Hair is either uncolored, or if they color their hair then they maintain their roots regularly
Money makes a difference. I think money and class makes more difference than race.
