Princeton, Yale See Smaller Share Of Asian American Freshmen Despite End Of Affirmative Action

Princeton University and Yale University both saw their percentages of Asian American freshman dip this fall despite the Supreme Court eliminating affirmative action in college admissions last year.

At Princeton, the percentage of Asian American freshmen dropped two percentage points from 26% last year to 24% this year.

At Yale, the decline was bigger at six percentage points, from 30% last year to 24% this year.

At both Ive Leagues, the share of black freshmen remained the same — 9% at Princeton and 14% at Yale.

Last year in June, the Supreme Court ruled against affirmative action in college admissions, declaring race-based admissions at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina unconstitutional and in violation of the Civil Rights Act.

Students for Fair Admissions, the group that sued over affirmative action, had pointed to the high test scores of Asian American and white applicants who were rejected.

The high court’s decision has had a profound effect on the admissions processes at universities across the country.

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At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT) the percentage of black students plummeted in the wake of the court’s decision. The incoming freshman class this fall is only 5% black, down from an average of 13% in recent years, MIT said last month.

Amherst College, a historic liberal arts in Massachusetts, also reported that its percentage of black freshman students fell to 9% from 19% this year. Hispanic students also declined to 10% from 14% last year. Meanwhile, the percentage of white and Asian American students increased slightly.

At the same time, universities have scrambled to find other ways to diversify their student bodies.

Yale and Princeton both pointed to more students receiving financial aid. At Yale, more than 58% of students are now getting need-based financial aid.

“I am especially excited that the Class of 2028 includes the greatest representation of first-generation and low-income students on record, and that Yale College now enrolls more veterans than it has in many decades,” said Jeremiah Quinlan, Yale’s dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid.

“At Princeton we make big bets on human talent from all sectors of society,” Princeton Provost Jennifer Rexford said.

Some schools moved away from considering standardized test scores as the argument that standardized testing harms minority students picked up steam. One Ivy League, Columbia University, permanently scrapped its standardized test requirement.

Some schools are also considering requiring more essays for admissions to get a better idea of a student’s background, while others plan to recruit students from minority areas or admit more students transferring from community colleges.

A majority of Americans, 62%, oppose race-based college admissions, according to a Reuters poll last year.