Harvard Sees Slight Decline in New Black Students After Affirmative Action Ruling

The Ivy League school said 14 percent of the Class of 2028 identified as black, down from 18 percent last year, after the landmark Supreme Court ruling.

People walk through the gate on Harvard Yard at the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Mass., on June 29, 2023. Scott Eisen/Getty Images

Harvard University has reported a slight decline in the number of black students in its incoming freshman class, the first since its “race-conscious” admission policy was declared unconstitutional by the nation’s highest court.

Data released Sept. 11 by the Ivy League school showed 14 percent of the Class of 2028 identified as black, down from 18 percent last year. Hispanic and Latino enrollment grew by two percentage points to 16 percent, and the share of Asian-American students remained the same at 37 percent.