In August, U of T launched its Student Equity Census Dashboard, a comprehensive survey of students’ demographics and identities. The Varsity broke down the census findings and the university’s future plans for the data.
What is the census?
The Student Equity Census is a survey conducted by the university that asks students to identify their gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, Indigenous identity, racial and/or ethnocultural identity, and educational attainment of parents or guardians.
The census began as a pilot in fall 2020 and collected data from 2023 onward through ACORN so that students could have easier access to the survey and increase participation rates. The dashboard notes that the census received a 99.5 per cent response rate, or 93,187 of the 93,655 students across all three campuses. Since February 2023, students have been required to answer the questions. All data is kept private and students can change their answers on ACORN at any time.
The following sections break down the data in six major categories of the survey across all three campuses for both domestic and international students and both undergraduate and graduate students. The census dashboard does not compare numbers across U of T’s campuses, study levels, or domestic and international student populations side-by-side.
Gender identity
As per the data, 50.7 per cent of U of T students identify as women, while 38.7 per cent identify as men. The data also shows a stark contrast for people who identify as transgender or as part of the community — making up only 1.5 per cent of the population. People who identify as genderfluid, genderqueer, nonbinary, questioning, or two-spirit make up six per cent of the U of T student population.
Sexual orientation
70.9 per cent of students identify as heterosexual or straight while 22.9 per cent identify as 2SLGBQ+, which accounts for asexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, queer, questioning, two-spirit, among others.
Mental health
When asked if students identify with a disability, 81.3 per cent indicated no, while 9.5 per cent indicated yes. 8.7 per cent preferred not to answer.
Of those who indicated yes, 61.8 per cent identified with a mental health condition. This includes schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Furthermore, of those who indicated yes, 37.5 per cent indicated that they have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Indigenous identity
When asked if students identify as Indigenous, only 0.7 per cent — or 653 students — indicated yes. 93.9 per cent indicated no, while 4.9 per cent preferred not to answer. Between the three campuses, UTSC has the smallest Indigenous student population with only 54 students while UTSG has 523 and UTM has 76.
Of those who said yes, 36.8 per cent indicated that they identify as status, treaty, or registered First Nations and 19 per cent identified as non-status First Nations. 27 per cent of students identify as Métis.
Racial identity
35.44 per cent of total U of T students identify as East Asian, which includes Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean students. 24.87 per cent identify as white, and 5.44 per cent identify as Black. 60.14 per cent — or 16,768 students — identify as East Asian among international students across all three campuses.
Parent or guardian education
When asked about the highest level of formal education of students’ most highly educated parent or guardian, 28.2 per cent said a bachelor’s degree, while 20.1 per cent said a master’s degree. 14.4 per cent of students said their parents had a post-secondary education below a university bachelor’s degree. Another 12.3 per cent of students said the highest level was high school or less.
Census plans
The Equity Census website mentions that the “initiative aligns with broader institutional efforts that support anti-discrimination and enhanced equity” and addresses “U of T’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, recent efforts towards [antisemitism] and [anti-Islamophobia], and the Anti-Black Racism Task Force Report, which emphasizes the importance of collecting demographic data.”
As of August 19, 2024, after feedback from students, the census also includes a question asking students their religious or spiritual affiliation, as can be seen in the U of T Student Equity Census Resource Document.
In a statement to The Varsity, Vice-Provost, Students Sandy Welsh wrote that, “this data will be used to inform decision-making and develop strategies to improve access and provide a more inclusive experience for undergraduate and graduate students.”
Welsh also highlighted some initiatives already in place to address barriers across the university, including the Indigenous student tuition waiver initiative, the longstanding Transitional Year program that provides assistance to students without formal qualifications for U of T’s admission requirements, and U of T Engineering’s Blueprint program for Black high school students to connect with mentors.
“We expect it will take a full academic year for the divisions, dean’s offices and others to assess the data, determine next steps and operationalize new programming or initiatives,” wrote Welsh. “These efforts will benefit our entire community by broadening knowledge and voices at U of T.”
