The Hot Schools Of 2004

MOST DIVERSE (ANOTHER TIE)

Occidental College, Los Angeles

This small school has been building momentum since the mid-'90s, thanks largely to students looking for a minority-friendly environment in a large city. Nearly 40 percent of its 1,830 students are minorities. But the campus is a friendly place for everyone--the new Learning and Living program makes sure freshmen don't get overwhelmed by coursework.

Louisiana State University,

Baton Rouge, La.

Chancellor Mark Emmert says LSU is often overlooked by Northerners who suspect it hasn't changed much since the civil-rights movement (or, heck, the Civil War). But a visit to the chemistry department tells a different story. The department head, Isaiah Warner, is black and, in the last decade, he's made LSU the nation's top producer of black chemistry Ph.D.s. Emmert says the school has had "a huge increase in interest" from Northern applicants. LSU hosts many minority-recruitment programs, and 24 percent of its 29,000 students are minorities.