In recent weeks, the nation’s most selective colleges and universities have announced data on their most recent admissions cycles. While many colleges and universities face enrollment declines, the nation’s most selective institutions continue to receive major increases in applicants, making them even more selective than they have been in the past. This year, Harvard admitted only 3.2 percent of all students who applied, the lowest percentage in university history.
As we have noted in our annual survey of Black first-year students at the nation’s leading liberal arts colleges and research universities, these selective educational institutions are increasingly unwilling to disclose data on the racial and ethnic makeup of the students they admit. Instead, they tout high numbers of students of color without giving a more detailed breakdown.
There are some exceptions.
Harvard University announced that 15.5 percent of all admitted students are Black. This is down from 18 percent a year ago. The university does not disclose how many Black students applied to Harvard, making it impossible to determine the Black student acceptance rate.
The Georgia Institute of Technology states that 21 percent of admitted students are Black or Hispanic.
Pomona College, the highly rated liberal arts educational institution in Claremont, California, announced that 15.5 percent of all admitted students are Black.
At the University of Southern California, 9 percent of all admitted students are Black.
