MIT Freshman Class of 2028 Sees Shift in Racial Makeup Following Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action
After last year’s Supreme Court ruling that declared affirmative action in college admissions unconstitutional, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has released the demographics for its freshman class of 2028, revealing a significant shift in the racial makeup of students.
The Supreme Court’s decision stemmed from two major lawsuits against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina. Evidence presented in these cases suggested that Asian applicants faced higher standards for admission compared to other racial groups. For instance, black applicants with lower SAT scores were admitted over more qualified Asian applicants. The court found that these practices resulted in an 11 percent decline in Asian admissions at Harvard.
The Supreme Court determined that universities cannot use race-based policies in their admissions processes.
“Both programs lack sufficiently focused and measurable objectives warranting the use of race, unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “We have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today.
In the wake of this decision, MIT has seen a notable increase in the number of Asian students admitted. According to data from its 2028 class, the percentage of Asian students increased from 40 percent in the class of 2027 to 47 percent in the class of 2028. Conversely, the percentage of black students decreased from 15 percent to 5 percent, Hispanic students from 16 percent to 11 percent, and White students from 38 percent to 37 percent.
MIT President Sally Kornbluth addressed these changes, expressing concern about the impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
“The class is, as always, outstanding across multiple dimensions,” Kornbluth said, “What it does not bring, as a consequence of last year’s Supreme Court decision, is the same degree of broad racial and ethnic diversity that the MIT community has worked together to achieve over the past several decades.”
However, critics of affirmative action practices have pointed to these changes as evidence that colleges are moving toward a more merit-based system, focusing on students’ qualifications rather than their race.
