August 22, 2024

MIT Sees Sharp Drop In Black And Hispanic Student Enrollment After Affirmative Action Ban

MIT Black Hispanic students

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently revealed a significant drop in the percentage of Black students in its incoming class of 2028, following the Supreme Court’s decision to ban race-conscious admissions. 

Decline in Black and Hispanic Enrollment

According to Bloomberg, the most striking impact of the Supreme Court ruling is evident in MIT’s latest admissions data

Black students make up just 5% of the class of 2028, a decline from the 13% average in recent years. Similarly, the proportion of Hispanic students has dropped from 15% to 11%. 

This reduction highlights the challenges that prestigious institutions like MIT face in achieving their diversity goals without the ability to consider race as a factor in admissions.

Meanwhile, the percentage of Asian American students has risen to 47%, up from 41%. 

MIT’s Response and Broader Implications

In response to these changes, MIT has ramped up its efforts to recruit a diverse student body through expanded outreach and financial aid programs. 

However, these efforts alone may not be enough to counteract the effects of the court’s decision. 

“If MIT cannot find a way to continue to draw on the full range of human talent and experience in the future, it may threaten the qualitative strength of the MIT education, both by a relative reduction in the educational benefits of diversity and by making our community less attractive to the best students from all backgrounds,” MIT’s Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill, said in a blog post.


Feature Image Credit: PeopleImages | E+

Sara Keenan

Tech Reporter at POCIT. Following her master's degree in journalism, Sara cultivated a deep passion for writing and driving positive change for Black and Brown individuals across all areas of life. This passion expanded to include the experiences of Black and Brown people in tech thanks to her internship experience as an editorial assistant at a tech startup.