Black student enrollment at many of the nation’s most selective colleges has dropped sharply in the two years following the Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action in admissions, an Associated Press analysis finds. On several campuses, Black students now represent as little as 2% of incoming freshmen.
The Associated Press examined data from 20 selective colleges that released figures this fall. Almost all reported a smaller share of Black students in 2025 than in 2023, with some declines approaching half of the previous year’s numbers.
Black enrollment trends across selective colleges
Among the institutions analyzed, Columbia University reported a decrease from 20% to 13%, while Harvard University’s Black enrollment fell from 18% to 11.5%. Emory University dropped from 13% to 11%, and Yale University from 9.51% to 8%, according to Associated Press data.
Other colleges saw similar declines, with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill decreasing from 10% to 7.8% and the University of Virginia falling from 8.17% to 6.07%.
Source: Data collected from colleges and universities by the Associated Press
Smith College was the only institution to report a rise, with Black enrollment increasing from 4.62% to 6.8%. Tulane University’s numbers remained steady at 5%. All other campuses experienced declines, according to the Associated Press.
Students notice shifts on campus
Princeton University saw its Black freshman numbers fall from 9% to 5%, reaching the lowest level since 1968, the Associated Press reports. Christopher Quire, a Princeton sophomore, remarked, “If this trend continues, in three years this campus will be as Black as it was in the Civil Rights era.”
Other students also observed changes. Kennedy Beal, a junior at Princeton, noted, “We saw almost no Black men on campus during a two-hour walk, which sends a message that Black students don’t belong.”
Colleges face federal scrutiny
President Trump has intensified oversight of admissions, directing institutions to release extensive data annually. The Associated Press reports that some colleges have delayed reporting amid federal attention.
Federal officials and conservative groups have argued that institutions could be using racial proxies, including diversity statements, to influence admissions decisions. Latino enrollments have also declined, while Asian American and white student numbers show mixed patterns, according to the Associated Press.