This study examined the relationship between preparation characteristics and pre-service teachers’ multicultural awareness, knowledge, and skills.Specifically, the study answered two research questions: 1) How do the initial level and change in pre-service teachers' beliefs about diversity in personal and professional contexts differ by their background characteristics? and 2) What characteristics of teacher preparation for diversity reported by pre-service teachers are associated with positive changes in their beliefs about diversity in personal and professional contexts, controlling for their background characteristics?