Harvard Sees Drop in Black Freshman Enrollment

Harvard University's freshman class has seen a decline in Black student enrollment, dropping from 18% to 14% following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that prohibits race-based admissions. While the percentage of Hispanic students increased from 14% to 16%, the overall impact of the ruling has been mixed across various elite institutions; some, like Yale and Princeton, reported little change, whereas schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Brown University experienced significant declines in minority student percentages. Harvard's Dean of Admissions, William Fitzsimmons, emphasized the university's commitment to diversity while adjusting to new legal constraints. Meanwhile, Boston University reported a drop in Black student enrollment from 9% to 3%, prompting President Melissa L. Gilliam to prioritize addressing these trends through enhanced outreach and support initiatives. The shifts in enrollment are prompting discussions about the future of diversity initiatives in higher education, as institutions seek to balance legal compliance with their missions of inclusion and representation.