Harvard’s Freshman Class Sees Decline in Black Student Enrollment After Affirmative Action Ruling

Harvard University has revealed a decrease in the percentage of Black students in its incoming freshman class, the first to be admitted following the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action. The percentage of Black or African American students dropped from 18% in the previous year to 14%. This decline is attributed to the 2023 ruling that prohibited universities from considering race and ethnicity in the admissions process, a practice that had been used to foster diversity.

Black enrollment drops at Harvard in wake of Supreme court’s affirmative action ruling – The Washington Post Why does this provide race/ethnicity enrollment data for every race/ethnicity except white students ⁦@washingtonpost⁩ ⁦@SusanSvrluga⁩ ? https://t.co/j2mWoHKTJg

— Dorothy A Brown (@DorothyABrown) September 12, 2024

Faculty of Arts and Sciences Dean Hopi E. Hoekstra explained that due to the ruling, demographic data on race and ethnicity was unavailable to the admissions office until the process was complete. The class of 2028 is the first affected by the decision, which ruled against Harvard and the University of North Carolina, stating that race-conscious admissions violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment.

Harvard’s demographic data was collected from the 84% of the 1,647 domestic freshmen who disclosed their information. A notable 8% of students did not specify their race or identity, up from 4% the previous year. Among the students who provided data, the percentage of Asian-American students remained at 37%, while Hispanic or Latino students increased from 14% to 16%. The percentage of Native American students fell from 2% to 1%, with Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students staying below 1%.

Harvard also adjusted its reporting method, calculating percentages only from those who disclosed their demographic information, rather than the entire freshman class. This change was made to better align with the new guidelines following the Supreme Court’s ruling. Harvard, along with neighboring institutions, has seen similar declines in Black student enrollment. For instance, MIT reported a drop from 15% to 5%, and Wellesley College saw its Black freshman population decrease from 9% to 5%.

Black enrollment drops in Harvard’s freshman class after Supreme Court ruling https://t.co/OFy23EouIv

— The Hill (@thehill) September 12, 2024

Despite these challenges, Harvard has reiterated its commitment to maintaining diversity within the legal constraints of the Court’s ruling. Harvard’s leadership expressed their dedication to finding talented students from a wide range of communities, noting that recruitment remains a key tool in building a diverse student body. Director of Admissions Joy St. John emphasized that the university is still focused on discovering exceptional talent across many different backgrounds.

As institutions grapple with the consequences of the ruling, Harvard and other universities are working to adapt their admissions processes while staying committed to fostering diverse educational environments.

Key Points:

i. Harvard’s freshman class saw a decrease in Black student enrollment from 18% to 14% after the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action.

ii. The 2023 decision prohibited race-conscious admissions, leading to changes in Harvard’s methodology for collecting demographic data.

iii. Other institutions, like MIT and Wellesley College, also reported drops in Black student enrollment for their freshman classes.

iv. Harvard continues to emphasize recruitment and its commitment to diversity within the boundaries of the Court’s ruling.

v. The university admitted 1,970 students from over 54,000 applicants for the class of 2028, adjusting to new legal requirements.

Susan Guglielmo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News