Black freshman enrollment has declined sharply at prestigious universities following the Supreme Court's 2023 decision banning affirmative action in admissions. Nearly all of the 20 selective institutions examined by the Associated Press recorded fewer Black students this fall than the previous year.
Princeton's Black freshman population dropped to 5 percent from 9 percent. Harvard saw its second straight annual decrease to 11.5 percent. Some campuses report Black enrollment among first-year students as low as 2 percent.
Universities face federal pressure to remove practices labeled racially biased by the Trump administration. Schools attribute lower numbers partly to reduced applications and acceptance rates among Black applicants. Legacy admission policies and economic factors remain under scrutiny as potential tools for increasing diversity.
Students describe the demographic shift as regression. Sophomore Christopher Quire warned that Princeton could resemble its Civil Rights-era composition within three years if trends persist.
Princeton's Black freshman population dropped to 5 percent from 9 percent. Harvard saw its second straight annual decrease to 11.5 percent. Some campuses report Black enrollment among first-year students as low as 2 percent.
Universities face federal pressure to remove practices labeled racially biased by the Trump administration. Schools attribute lower numbers partly to reduced applications and acceptance rates among Black applicants. Legacy admission policies and economic factors remain under scrutiny as potential tools for increasing diversity.
Students describe the demographic shift as regression. Sophomore Christopher Quire warned that Princeton could resemble its Civil Rights-era composition within three years if trends persist.
