Ending Affirmative Action Harms College Diversity If Legacy Preferences Stand
Without race consideration, universities will have few options to retain diversity, according to a new study
Photographer: Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images
Colleges would have to scrap preferences for legacy applicants and student athletes to improve racial diversity if the US Supreme Court ends affirmative action in admissions, even if they consider other factors such as class, a new study found.
The share of Black and Latino students admitted to selective schools under an alternative admissions process that takes into account socioeconomic level, for example, would only exceed current levels if schools scrapped preferences for children of alumni and athletes, according to a Georgetown University study released Tuesday. Indigenous student populations would still suffer under most scenarios, the study found.