Underrepresented Student Applications Increase

A predicted decrease in underrepresented minority student college applications has not materialized after the Supreme Court’s decision overturning race-conscious admissions.

There was a substantial rise in underrepresented minority student college applications, first-generation students, and those from low and middle-income backgrounds during the 2023-24 school year, according to Common App’s end-of-season report released Thursday. The rise in underrepresented student college applications continues a decade-long trend.

The number of applicants identifying as a minority race or ethnicity increased 11%, compared to 3% for non-minority groups. Growth was fastest among American Indian or Alaska Native, Latinx and Black or African American applicants.

The same student racial groups’ applications to less selective schools also steeply increased, according to the data. All races remained more likely to apply to less selective institutions, with the exception of Asian students, who are more likely to apply to institutions defined as “most” and “more” selective.

Why the Rise in Underrepresented Student College Applications Was Unexpected

In two U.S. Supreme Court cases decided in 2023 against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the advocacy group Students for Fair Admissions claimed that race-conscious admissions discriminated against Asian American applicants.

The court’s decision to end the longstanding college admissions practice, which was meant to diversify incoming classes, led many educators to worry that Black, Latinx and other underrepresented student groups would be hindered from applying to higher education institutions, especially the more competitive ones.

With the ruling expected to increase pressure on elementary and secondary schools to develop a college-going culture and to bolster support for minority students aspiring to pursue postsecondary education, the K-12 sector braced for the ruling’s impact.