College Racial Diversity Drops Again as Trump Ramps Up Scrutiny

Jan. 14, 2026, 3:56 PM UTC

For the second straight year, highly selective colleges are reporting lower Black and Hispanic enrollment than before the Supreme Court ruled against racial preferences in admissions.

In a Bloomberg survey of 27 elite schools, all but two reported a smaller share of Black freshmen in fall 2025 than in fall 2023, the last class admitted before the affirmative action ban. Some 21 schools saw reduced Hispanic enrollment among first-year students over that period.

Harvard University students wearing graduation gowns walk through Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts on May 29.
Photographer: Mel Musto/Bloomberg

At the same time, more than half the schools reported equal or higher Asian enrollment in the 2025 freshman class compared to 2023. The lawsuits that ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Law or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

Bloomberg Law provides trusted coverage of current events enhanced with legal analysis.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.