First-year enrollment of Black and Hispanic students at Harvard Law School fell nearly 50% for the class of 2027, the first admitted after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action in 2022. This landmark decision has reshaped diversity strategies in higher education and reduced representation of Black and Latino students nationwide. According to enrollment data submitted to the American Bar Association, 19 Black students enrolled as first-years this year, making up just 3.4% of the class—a sharp drop from 43 the previous year and the lowest number since the 1960s. Hispanic enrollment also decreased significantly, from 63 students to 39. While some top law schools experienced smaller declines, others, such as Stanford, saw increases in Black and Hispanic student enrollment.
Jeff Neal, a spokesperson for Harvard Law School, acknowledged the impact of the Supreme Court decision, stating it has affected the ability of educational institutions to recruit diverse cohorts. He emphasized Harvard’s commitment to both following the law and fostering diversity, noting that conclusions drawn from one year of data are limited.
The elimination of affirmative action comes as colleges nationwide are scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. States like Florida and Texas have banned DEI offices at public universities, while some schools, such as the University of Missouri, have preemptively cut DEI programs. Even institutions with robust DEI initiatives, such as the University of Michigan, are scaling back, ending diversity statements in hiring and promotion.
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