Harvard racial demographics shift following Supreme Court ruling

Newly released data for Harvard University’s Class of 2030 shows significant shifts in racial demographics following the 2023 Supreme Court decision that ended race-conscious admissions. Black student enrollment has declined for a third consecutive year, falling to 9.3 percent of the incoming class, down from 11.5 percent in the Class of 2029 and 14 percent in the Class of 2028.

In contrast, Asian American students now comprise 43.2 percent of the Class of 2030, a notable increase from 37 percent in the Class of 2028. This figure represents more than double the percentage of Asian American students present when Students for Fair Admissions first sued the university. Hispanic and Latino students account for 11.4 percent of the class, a figure that has remained largely stable following a previous decline.

The shifts follow the ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which prohibited colleges from using race as a factor in admissions decisions. Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, stated that the results serve as evidence regarding previous admission practices and called for increased transparency in how colleges disclose admissions data.