Diversity Representation on Spanish Catholic University Websites: A Critical Analysis of Institutional Narratives

The concept of diversity in higher education, originating in the United States, has influenced global academic systems, including those in Spain. Catholic higher education institutions in Spain have increasingly incorporated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) into their public narratives, reflecting societal changes and multicultural dynamics. This study examines how DEI themes are represented on institutional websites of Catholic universities in Spain by applying a critical discourse analysis framework. A combined qualitative and quantitative methodology was used to analyze a textual corpus of words (N = 7,365), which were coded into thematic categories such as diversity, inclusion, equity, social justice, and internationalization. Findings indicated a predominant emphasis on internationalization, with frequent references to global engagement, mobility, and cross-cultural interactions. Themes such as equity and social justice, critical to fostering fairness and inclusivity, were underrepresented. Gender references and inclusion received moderate attention, though their practical operationalization appears to be limited, while discrimination and sexuality remained marginal. In sum, the research employed automated content extraction, thematic coding, and statistical analyses, revealing strong correlations between diversity and internationalization, framing diversity as a global priority. However, weak correlations with equity and justice suggest compartmentalized DEI efforts.