New Delhi: Recent data from Harvard College revealed that the enrollment of Asian students has risen while the number of Black students has declined in the Class of 2030.
The enrollment of Black students fell 2.2 percentage points from 11.5 per cent in the class of 2029. This is likely to be the result of a Supreme Court order from 2023 when it overturned race-conscious admissions.
According to data released by Harvard, Black students make up 14 per cent of the Class of 2028, down from 18 per cent the year before.
Meanwhile, the proportion of Asian American students rose to 43.2 per cent, up from 41 per cent in the Class of 2029 and 37 per cent in the Class of 2028.
The latest data suggests that the Supreme Court ruling ended decades of race-based affirmative action in college admissions. Since the court decision, the College’s admissions process has continued to face close scrutiny.
The Trump administration had even sued Harvard in February over its refusal to hand over applicant-level admissions records.
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Change at Harvard
The Supreme Court decision has changed how Harvard reports its racial demographics. With the Class of 2028, the College began calculating racial percentages using only students who reported their race.
Harvard also noted a sharp rebound in applications with 55,104 students applying to the Class of 2030 — a 15 per cent increase from last year’s 47,893 applicants.
The recent data has been released amid sustained uncertainty over the future of international students at Harvard as the Trump administration continues to pursue restrictions on foreign student enrollment.
The data suggests that students in the Class of 2030 come from 86 countries, down from 92 last year. The share of international students remained, however, is the same, 15.4 per cent.
“Each generation has recognised the remarkable opportunities Harvard offers – not only to pursue their own ambitions, but to make a difference in the world. The Class of 2030 carries that tradition forward, bringing their own experiences and aspirations to campus,” wrote William R Fitzsimmons, the Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, in Tuesday’s announcement.