Fourteen months after the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the university reports significant drops in enrollment for Black and Hispanic students.
Last year, Black students made up 10.5% of new enrollees, and Hispanic students accounted for 10.8%. However, new data from Chapel Hill shows that Black first-year and transfer students now comprise just 7.8% of the 5,624 incoming class—a drop of more than 25%. Hispanic students fell to 10.1%, a 7% decline.
In contrast, Asian or Asian American students increased slightly, now representing nearly 26% of this year’s entering class. Chapel Hill, like many universities, allows students to report multiple racial identities, leading percentages to exceed 100.
The Supreme Court’s 2023 decision significantly limited race-conscious admissions practices. While the case focused on Harvard and Chapel Hill—two historically significant institutions—it prompted a nationwide rethinking of admissions strategies.
The lawsuit brought by Students for Fair Admissions accused UNC-Chapel Hill of using racial preferences unlawfully and ignoring race-neutral alternatives. Chapel Hill argued its process aligned with longstanding legal precedents, using race as one factor to promote diversity without setting quotas.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., writing for the conservative majority, rejected the university’s approach, claiming it involved racial stereotyping and lacked defined limits. Following the ruling, Chapel Hill’s provost, J. Christopher Clemens, affirmed a shift to race-neutral criteria, focusing on achievements and character traits instead of race as admissions factors.
