Study Shows Eliminating Race-Conscious Admissions Will Hurt Enrollment of Minority Students

The Supreme Court is considering banning race considerations in colleges and universities nationwide. So what does that mean for African American students and other minorities?

NBC News reports if the ban is issued, enrollment of minority groups at certain schools will more than likely drop. The issue has been brought to the court after students of Fair Admissions, a group suing Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, felt that class-conscious admissions allow schools to create a diverse student body and boost disadvantaged students without focusing on race.

However, a study conducted by Georgetown University shows school admissions considering class over race would leave select colleges without Black and other minority representation. Back in 2015, estimates showed almost 60% of top U.S. colleges consider race as a factor in enrollment. If it were not considered, study authors have an idea about how to increase enrollment for underrepresented campus groups—eliminating the consideration of students’ athleticism and ties to school alums and donations.

These factors benefit white, affluent applicants.

This ban affects more than just undergraduate and high school programs. In January, the Association of American Medical Colleges published an article concerned that this new thought, issued by Justice Clarence Thomas, affects medical students training to save lives regardless of race. “Many medical students, especially members of minoritized communities, have themselves witnessed health inequities related to race, ethnicity, region, and socioeconomic status — what the profession calls “social determinants of health,” the article said.

“Students like us have seen how underserved communities lack access to high-quality medical care. In part for this reason, we seek not only to practice medicine but to correct the failings of the health care system.”

The study said it’s unlikely schools will adopt class-conscious admissions. Too much is at stake, such as depending heavily on recruiting high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds for a class-based alternative.