Racial Diversity Declines at Elite Schools Amid Supreme Court's Affirmative Action Ban

Harvard University's class of 2029 is the latest example of the nation's elite schools experiencing a significant decline in racial diversity, following the 2023 Supreme Court ban on affirmative action. Black and Hispanic students made up 11.5% and 11% of the first-year class, respectively, a decline from 14% and 16% last year. Asian American students increased to 41% of the first-year class. These numbers come as the Trump administration pushes for expanded admissions data to prove whether universities are giving preferential treatment to applicants based on race.

Key Takeaways:

• Harvard's first-year class of 2029 saw a decline in Black students, from 14% last year to 11.5% this year, and a decline in Hispanic students, from 16% last year to 11% this year.
• Asian American students increased to 41% of the first-year class, up from 37% last year.
• The Trump administration has requested that universities provide expanded admissions data to prove whether they are giving preferential treatment to applicants based on race.
• Many schools are hesitant to release demographic data due to increased pressure from the administration, and some have even beefed up their recruitment efforts to try and reverse declines in underserved minority students.
• The Supreme Court's 2023 decision on affirmative action has led to a reversal of a decades-long trend towards increased racial diversity at the nation's elite schools.
• Students for Fair Admissions, a nonprofit organization that sued Harvard in the affirmative action case, argued that the Ivy League college's admissions policies discriminated against high-scoring Asian American students by giving "boosts" to students from racial minority groups who scored lower on admissions tests.
• The use of "hidden racial proxies" is a concern for the Trump administration as it pushes for broader interpretation of the Supreme Court decision.

Statistics:

• 1,675 students in Harvard's class of 2029 represent all 50 U.S. states and 92 countries, with international students making up 15% of the class.
• 20.9% of the class of 2029 are low-income students eligible for federal Pell Grants.
• 45% of the class will attend Harvard tuition-free under an expanded financial aid policy.
• In 2023, 18% of Harvard's first-year class identified as Black.

Sources:

• "The shift mirrors trends at other elite schools after a ban on affirmative action" (The New York Times, [no date provided])
• James Murphy, director of postsecondary policy for Education Reform Now (interview with The New York Times, [no date provided])
• Justin Driver, professor at Yale Law School (interview with The New York Times, [no date provided])
• Hopi Hoekstra, dean of Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (written statement released by Harvard College, [no date provided])
• Harvard College (figures released on Thursday, [no date provided])
• Princeton University (figures released this fall, [no date provided])
• Education Reform Now (compilation of data, [no date provided])