UNC first-year class is less diverse after SCOTUS ruling
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Photo: Eros Hoagland/Getty Images
Black and Hispanic students make up a smaller proportion of the University of North Carolina's newest class of students compared to previous years, according to data released by the university Thursday.
Why it matters: The data on admitted students is the first to be released since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a case last year that involved admissions practices at UNC and Harvard that colleges can't explicitly consider applicants' race in admissions.
By the numbers: Currently enrolled first-years, part of the class of 2028, are:
- 63.8% white
- 7.8% Black
- 10.1% Hispanic or Latino
- 25.8% Asian or Asian American
- 1.1% American Indian
In comparison, when the class of 2027 enrolled, it was:
- 63.7% white
- 10.5% Black
- 10.8% Hispanic or Latino
- 24.8% Asian or Asian American
- 1.6% American Indian
Context: These percentages add up to more than 100 because some students identify with more than one race category.
Zoom in: The class of 2028 at UNC comprises 4,641 first-year students and 983 transfer students, according to the school.
- UNC saw more than 73,000 applications for admission this past year, up 15% compared to last year.
- Ninety-five of the state's 100 counties were represented in this year's first-year class.
Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts at public universities in the state are under evaluation after the UNC System pushed a new policy of "institutional neutrality" that is leading its schools to eliminate diversity offices on campus.
- UNC, now being led by chancellor Lee Roberts, is expected to reveal how it will comply with that policy next week.
What they're saying: "It's too soon to see trends with just one year of data," Rachelle Feldman, vice provost for enrollment at UNC, said in a statement about the impact of the Supreme Court's decision.
- "We are committed to following the new law," Feldman added. "We are also committed to making sure students in all 100 counties from every population in our growing state feel encouraged to apply, have confidence in our affordability and know this is a place they feel welcome and can succeed."
Between the lines: UNC has added six outreach positions all based out of the Triangle to boost the number of North Carolinians applying to attend UNC — something the university has never done before, Feldman added.
Zoom out: The proportion of Black students has declined at several universities nationwide since the Supreme Court's decision on college admissions.
- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's incoming class saw a sharp decline in Black, Hispanic and Native American students, the New York Times reported.
- Amherst College, also in Massachusetts, also saw a significant decline in its share of Black students, from 11% for the class of 2027 to 3% for 2028, NBC News reported.
Duke University's demographics saw a decline in Asian or Asian American students, but other demographics remained steady between the classes of 2027 and 2028.
- White students are about 52% of Duke's current first-year class, 29% are Asian or Asian American, 13% are Black, 14% are Hispanic or Latino and around 1% are American Indian, according to Duke.
- The previous year's first-year class was 53% white, 35% Asian or Asian American, 13% Black, 13% Hispanic or Latino and 1.2% American Indian.
Duke provost Alec Gallimore said in a statement that Duke has an "unwavering commitment to diversity in all forms."
- "I applaud the dedication and commitment of everyone involved in this effort," he added, "which began long before the Supreme Court's decision on race-conscious admissions and will continue into the future."
Flashback: Last year, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against the admissions processes at Harvard and UNC, both of which gave a little extra weight to applicants from certain underrepresented groups.
- The court sided with the plaintiffs, the conservative nonprofit Students for Fair Admissions, which argued that the universities' admissions processes discriminate against white and Asian American applicants.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with new details about UNC's response to the data, as well as with additional context about the first-year class demographics.