First college class after SCOTUS affirmative action ruling is slightly less diverse.

Main Idea: A CBS News analysis says the first college class after the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling is slightly less diverse, with the biggest drops at highly selective schools.

Key Points:

• The analysis of 116 colleges found the share of underrepresented minority students fell by about 2 percentage points from fall 2023 to fall 2024 at schools that had used race in admissions.
• At the most selective schools, including Dartmouth and Princeton, the drop was larger, and Black student enrollment fell to its lowest level in the data since at least 2015.
• Experts said it is too early to draw firm conclusions, and other factors like FAFSA delays may also have made it harder for some students to enroll.
• Schools are trying new ways to keep campuses diverse, but they face pressure from the federal government as the Supreme Court ruling reshapes admissions.