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The Rise of Economic Affirmative Action: Universities Are Finding New and Better Paths to Diversity

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Title: The Rise of Economic Affirmative Action: Universities Are Finding New and Better Paths to Diversity
Language: English
Authors: Richard D. Kahlenberg, Aidan Shannon, Progressive Policy Institute (PPI)
Source: Progressive Policy Institute. 2026.
Availability: Progressive Policy Institute. 600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Suite 400, Washington, DC 20003. Tel: 202-547-0001; Fax: 202-544-5014; Web site: https://www.progressivepolicy.org/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 29
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: Universities, Student Diversity, Minority Group Students, Affirmative Action, College Enrollment, Low Income Students, College Transfer Students, Federal Aid, Grants, Undergraduate Students
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Pell Grant Program
Abstract: Many feared that the Supreme Court's 2023 decision banning the use of race in college admissions would deal a crushing blow to campus diversity. Before oral arguments in the case, more than 30 liberal arts schools filed an amicus brief warning that without the benefit of affirmative action, Black students might fall to just 2.1% of all new undergrads at selective institutions, a return to "early 1960s levels." When the ruling came down, the court's three liberal justices wrote in their dissent that it would have a "devastating impact" on minority enrollment. Thankfully, those dire predictions have yet to come true. In this report, the authors review data from the 2024 and 2025 admissions cycles showing that, in the wake of "Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard," higher education institutions have not given up on diversity. Instead, they have seemingly begun the hard work of finding new paths to it.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED680392
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Many feared that the Supreme Court's 2023 decision banning the use of race in college admissions would deal a crushing blow to campus diversity. Before oral arguments in the case, more than 30 liberal arts schools filed an amicus brief warning that without the benefit of affirmative action, Black students might fall to just 2.1% of all new undergrads at selective institutions, a return to "early 1960s levels." When the ruling came down, the court's three liberal justices wrote in their dissent that it would have a "devastating impact" on minority enrollment. Thankfully, those dire predictions have yet to come true. In this report, the authors review data from the 2024 and 2025 admissions cycles showing that, in the wake of "Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard," higher education institutions have not given up on diversity. Instead, they have seemingly begun the hard work of finding new paths to it.
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        PageCount: 29
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      – SubjectFull: Universities
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      – SubjectFull: Student Diversity
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      – SubjectFull: Minority Group Students
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      – SubjectFull: Affirmative Action
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      – SubjectFull: Low Income Students
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      – SubjectFull: College Transfer Students
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      – SubjectFull: Federal Aid
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      – SubjectFull: Grants
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      – SubjectFull: Undergraduate Students
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      – SubjectFull: Pell Grant Program
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      – TitleFull: The Rise of Economic Affirmative Action: Universities Are Finding New and Better Paths to Diversity
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