Decline in Black Student Enrollment at Elite Colleges

Following the Supreme Court's decision to end affirmative action in college admissions, several elite universities, including Harvard, Amherst, and UNC, reported a decline in Black student enrollment for the fall 2024 semester. Harvard's percentage of Black first-year students fell from 18% to 14%, while the share of Hispanic students increased from 14% to 16%. At UNC, Black students represented 7.8% of the incoming class, down from 10.5% last year, and Amherst experienced a drop from 11% to just 3%. In contrast, some universities like Princeton and Yale maintained stable Black enrollment, indicating varied impacts across institutions. Experts express concern over the implications of these demographic shifts for diversity and representation in higher education. Additionally, a report highlighted a long-term decline in Black male enrollment at historically Black colleges and universities, underscoring broader trends affecting Black students in higher education.