In Equity Engines, Becca Spindel Bassett shines a light on a small group of colleges that are quietly achieving the improbable. These “equity engines” open their doors widely to low-income students and graduate them at remarkably high rates. Immersing herself in two distinct institutions, a small private liberal arts university and a large regional public university, Bassett offers a window into the unseen mindsets and policies that drive universities toward equitable outcomes. By culturally and structurally centering first-generation, low-income students and challenging the superiority of exclusive, research-oriented cultures, the faculty, staff, and administrators of both institutions achieve extraordinary results. 

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Combining ethnography with sociological analysis, Equity Engines presents a detailed and nuanced depiction of the people and practices that power equity engines, the pressures that challenge their operation, and how we can transform American higher education to promote a more democratic and equitable society.