Supreme Court Ruling Shifts College Enrollment Demographics

Analysis finds major increases in Black and Hispanic students at public flagship universities, declines at top-tier schools.

Feb. 3, 2026 at 4:31am

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A new analysis by the nonprofit organization Class Action has found that the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling banning race-conscious college admissions led to significant shifts in student enrollment demographics across the U.S. While highly selective universities saw declines in Black and Latino freshmen enrollment, public flagship schools and less selective colleges experienced major increases in these underrepresented minority groups.

Why it matters

The findings suggest the Supreme Court decision may have created a 'cascade' effect, with qualified Black and Latino students who were previously admitted to top-tier schools now enrolling at less selective institutions. Experts warn this could have long-term consequences for employment opportunities and earnings for students at the least selective colleges.

The details

The analysis, based on 2024 federal enrollment data, found that overall freshmen enrollment of underrepresented minority groups increased by 8% at public flagship universities. However, at the nation's 50 most selective schools, Black freshmen enrollment declined by 27% and Latino enrollment dropped by 10%. Some schools, like the University of Mississippi and Louisiana State University, saw huge jumps in Black student enrollment, while the University of Miami and University of Tennessee-Knoxville had large increases in Latino students.

  • The Supreme Court ruling banning race-conscious admissions went into effect in 2023.
  • The enrollment data analyzed was from the 2024 academic year, the first year after the court decision.

The players

Class Action

A nonprofit organization that works to promote equity in education and conducted the analysis of the enrollment shifts.

Lamarcus Lenoir

A sophomore at the University of Mississippi who noticed the increase in Black students on campus and wrote an opinion piece about it for the school newspaper.

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What they’re saying

“My friends and I mentioned how many Black students there were and how surprised we were.”

— Lamarcus Lenoir, Sophomore, University of Mississippi

“I was stunned when I saw things like the University of Mississippi seeing large gains in enrollment of Black students and the University of Miami seeing a big boost in Latino students.”

— James S. Murphy, Senior Fellow, Class Action

What’s next

Experts will continue to monitor the long-term impacts of the Supreme Court decision on college enrollment and student outcomes, particularly for underrepresented minority groups.

The takeaway

The Supreme Court's ban on race-conscious admissions has led to a significant shift in college enrollment demographics, with public flagship universities and less selective schools seeing major increases in Black and Hispanic students, while top-tier institutions experienced declines. This 'cascade' effect could have lasting consequences for employment and earnings for students at the least selective colleges.