The share of Black first-year students at Harvard University has dropped nearly 50% since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned affirmative action in college admissions in 2023, raising concerns about Black representation at the nation’s most prestigious universities, according to enrollment data released Oct. 27.
Black students account for 9.3% of Harvard’s incoming Class of 2030, down from 18% in 2023, according to the data. The decline marks the third consecutive year that Black representation among incoming freshmen has fallen.
The downward trend follows the Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 decision prohibiting colleges and universities from considering race in admissions. Black students represented 14% of Harvard’s freshman class in 2024 and 11.5% in 2025 before dropping to this year’s level.
Meanwhile, Asian American students account for 43.2% of Harvard’s incoming class, up from 41% last year. Hispanic and Latino students make up 11.4%, while about 2% identify as Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Pacific Islander.
The Harvard Crimson reported similar enrollment shifts have emerged at other Ivy League institutions. At Yale University, Black freshman representation declined from 12% last year to 10% this fall. Princeton University, however, reported an increase, with Black students accounting for 8.4% of its incoming class, compared with 5% last year.
The Supreme Court’s ruling followed a legal challenge alleging that Harvard’s admissions practices discriminated against Asian American applicants. The decision ended decades of race-conscious admissions policies, prompting debate over how universities can maintain diversity while complying with federal law.
Harvard has also changed its demographic reporting methodology, calculating racial percentages based on students who disclose their race rather than the entire freshman class. The adjustment complicates direct comparisons with enrollment figures released before 2024.
Despite declining Black representation, Harvard continues to expand financial aid opportunities. The university reported that 39% of incoming first-year students receive assistance covering their full tuition, while 17% are first-generation college students.
The latest figures come as Harvard welcomed 1,648 freshmen from a pool of 55,104 applicants, highlighting the competitive admissions landscape as universities navigate the consequences of the affirmative action ruling.RELATED CONTENT: Experts Warn Of FERPA Hurdles Amid DOJ’s Harvard Admission Documents Lawsuit