The Upcoming Class of 2028 Provides an Initial Insight into College Diversity Following the Termination of Affirmative Action. The Image Remains Indistinct
As the head of the Black Student Movement at the state's leading university, Greene stated that this year's Black Student Convocation, an event connecting first-year students with campus resources and welcoming them, had fewer attendees and fewer Black students present compared to previous years.
"We've definitely observed a significant decrease in not just attendance, but in the presence of Black students on campus," Greene acknowledged. "We recognize each other, communicate, and there's just fewer of them."
Last week, UNC Chapel Hill published an analysis of incoming freshmen and transfer students, revealing that the number of Black students admitted to the university dropped from 10.5% to 7.8% – a reduction of approximately 25%.
Similarly, Harvard University experienced a decrease in Black enrollment, according to figures disclosed this week, showing a 22% decline in Black freshmen compared to the previous year. Both universities were involved as plaintiffs in the Supreme Court decision that ended the tradition of considering race and ethnicity in college admissions.
Greene expressed disappointment, stating, "I chose this school for its notable diversity and the positive outcomes it produces. It's disheartening to witness that grow less significant."
As admissions offices nationwide release their latest demographic data for the Class of 2028, experts are cautioning about the long-term effects of campus diversity lacking.
College diversity fluctuations across the U.S.
The abolition of affirmative action has had varying impacts on admissions to top-tier, highly competitive universities in the U.S.
At Yale University, the percentage of Black students admitted this year remained steady at 14%, compared to last fall, but the number of Asian students decreased by 20%.
At UNC, the decline in Black students admitted was accompanied by a minor increase in the proportion of Asian and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander students.
However, at MIT, the number of Black students admitted to the Class of 2028 dropped from 15% last fall to just 5% this year, while the Latino student count experienced a 31% decline.
In an interview with the university's news outlet last month, Stu Schmill, MIT's dean of admissions, attributed the demographic shift to the Supreme Court's ruling.
The Class of 2027 was the most diverse in MIT history, Schmill noted, and the university used race as a factor in identifying gifted students who had emerged from disadvantaged K-12 educational environments.
But following the ruling, Schmill admitted, "I am convinced that we overlooked numerous well-qualified, compatible applicants from underrepresented backgrounds who, in the past, we would have accepted – and who would have thrived."
Adding to the complexity, many universities have reported that since the termination of affirmative action, students have the option to self-identify their race on their applications, and some have declined, skewing the available demographic data.
The substantial drop in Black students admitted to UNC Chapel Hill ignited a swift response from students and alumni. In a news conference after the data release, Rachelle Feldman, vice provost of enrollment at the university, cautioned against drawing unfounded conclusions, explaining, "At Chapel Hill, we adhere to the law thoroughly in our admissions process and uphold our duty to serve the state, reaching out to students and applicants in all 100 counties, ensuring that anyone with merit, regardless of background, feels welcome and supported, able to flourish."
Similarly, William R. Fitzsimmons, Harvard University's dean of admissions and financial aid, reassured the campus and the wider public that Ivy League schools remain committed to fostering a diverse student body.
"Our community draws strength from students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints," Fitzsimmons stated. "And our community excels when those with varied perspectives collaborate – within and beyond the classroom – to solve common challenges by viewing them from one another's perspectives."
However, Ed Blum, the legal activist whose lawsuit against Harvard and UNC effectively ended affirmative action practices, questioned whether the Supreme Court's ruling had an unambiguous impact on college students. Blum told CNN that he believes the Supreme Court's decision "has greatly benefited all college students."
"My job is simplest when I convince my fellow Americans that a student's race should not be used as a factor in college admissions," Blum stated. "In numerous polls, including Gallup, Pew Research, New York Times, and others, significant majorities of Americans of all races do not believe a student's race should be taken into account in the college admissions process."
Affirmative action prohibitions – lasting consequences
Historical data shows that discontinuing affirmative action can yield long-term financial consequences for students of color. Backlash against affirmative action policies reached a fever pitch in the 1990s, leading several states, including Texas, Washington, Florida, and California, to enact bans on race-conscious admissions policies.
Economics professor Zachary Bleemer of Princeton University, who specializes in the impact of affirmative action bans, explained that the bans introduced in the 1990s – much like today – had an immediate effect on college diversity.
When California ended affirmative action in 1998, Bleemer noted, there was a rapid decline of 40-50% in Black and Hispanic enrollment at Berkeley and UCLA, the state's most prestigious universities.
The study conducted by Bleemer revealed that post the ban, around 1,000 fewer students from minority groups annually applied to the University of California institutions. This ban had significant implications on the economic prospects of Black and Hispanic students, as they were denied entry into California's elite educational institutions.
Bleemer explained that the enrollment of Black and Hispanic students in less competitive universities led to a decrease in the likelihood of these students earning a college degree, a degree in a lucrative STEM field, or a graduate degree by approximately 5-6%. This, in turn, resulted in a substantial drop in their wage earnings in the job market.
Despite the implementation of affirmative action bans, Bleemer noted that educational institutions have found various strategies to maintain diversity. For instance, in states like Texas and Florida, top-tier universities offer automatic admission to students who graduate in the top 10% and 20% of their respective classes. Meanwhile, schools in California adopt a holistic approach to admissions, which consider the applicant's overall qualifications rather than solely focusing on test scores. While these strategies do increase the enrollment of Black and Hispanic students, they are less effective than race-conscious affirmative action policies.
Bleemer observed that the end of affirmative action presented American universities with an opportunity to revise their admission policies in line with their core values. He believed that universities had begun to acknowledge the impact of the ban and were rethinking their desired student demographic. As a result, they implemented race-neutral admission policies which better align with their admission goals.
In reference to the changes in student demographics at UNC, Greene expressed her concern about the diminishing influence of collective student organizations like the Black Student Movement. She feared that the university was being directed by a select few individuals in positions of power and that this might negatively impact the university in the long run. However, she remained committed to her studies at UNC, believing that it was an essential part of her journey.
"We need to work together as a university community to address this issue and ensure that 'us' – all students, regardless of race – have equal opportunities to thrive here at UNC," Greene suggested.
"The decrease in Black students present on campus is concerning, and it's crucial that 'us', the administrators, faculty, and students, collaborate to create positive change," Feldman agreed.
