Campus Diversity Becomes Difficult to Measure as Students Conceal Race and Ethnicity on Applications
Ambiguity surrounds diversity metrics in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s landmark ruling.
Over a year after the US Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions at colleges and universities, the racial composition of incoming students remains difficult to assess. As institutions begin reporting data for the class of 2028—the first cohort impacted by the 2023 ruling—the figures are proving ambiguous, inconclusive, and often contradictory.
Despite predictions that campuses would become significantly less diverse, the reality has been obscured by a growing trend: students opting not to disclose their race or ethnicity on application forms. This, combined with universities’ selective use of demographic data, complicates efforts to evaluate the ruling’s true impact.
Students Resist Limited Categories
Some students refrain from selecting a racial or ethnic category because they feel the available options fail to represent them accurately. Multiracial students, for instance, often faced a dilemma before the introduction of a “one or more” option in 2010. Previously, many boycotted racial checkboxes entirely.
Additionally, some students simply do not see race as a defining aspect of their identity. According to research, 67% of students listed as “race and ethnicity unknown” are white, with a third of them asserting that race is irrelevant to their sense of self.
This trend is growing. At Harvard University, for example, the proportion of undergraduates categorised as “race unknown” doubled between 2023 and 2024. As this category expands, understanding the racial and ethnic diversity of student populations—and assessing the effects of race-conscious admissions bans—becomes increasingly challenging.
Fear of Discrimination
For some, withholding racial information stems from fear of bias. Certain students believe disclosing their race or ethnicity could harm their chances of admission, particularly at selective institutions.
Data shows that non-response rates are higher at prestigious universities, where approximately 4% of applicants decline to disclose their race, compared to 1–2% at less selective institutions. This trend is even more pronounced at elite law schools, where an average of 8% of students opt not to identify their race, compared with 4% at less selective counterparts.
Universities’ Strategic Reporting
The way universities choose to present their demographic data further muddies the waters. Harvard, for example, does not publicly report the proportion of white students in its enrolment figures.
Some institutions employ strategic reporting techniques to appear more diverse. For instance, multiracial students are sometimes counted multiple times—once for each race they select. Additionally, some universities include international students as a separate demographic in pie charts, creating the impression of greater diversity.
More Read
Anticipating Clearer Data
While institutional reporting practices vary, all universities must submit standardised demographic data to the US government via the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). The next IPEDS report, due in spring 2025, is expected to provide a clearer picture of how the Supreme Court’s decision has affected college diversity.
However, even this clarity may be short-lived. In 2027, new federal guidelines will alter how race and ethnicity are recorded. A new category for Middle Eastern and North African students will be introduced; these students are currently classified as white. Consequently, reported white enrolment figures may decline.
Additionally, changes will affect how Hispanic or Latino students are categorised. At present, students who identify as both Hispanic and white are classified as Hispanic. Under the new guidelines, they will be categorised as multiracial, potentially leading to a reported decline in Hispanic enrolment.
A Clouded Future
The changes will make it difficult to distinguish between enrolment shifts resulting from the Supreme Court ruling and those caused by the revised reporting standards. Universities will need time to adapt to these new guidelines, and as long as significant numbers of students decline to disclose their racial identities, the true impact of banning race-conscious admissions will remain shrouded in uncertainty.
For now, efforts to measure diversity on American campuses are likely to yield more questions than answers, leaving both educators and policymakers grappling with an increasingly complex landscape.
