Harvard Accepts a Record Number of Asian American Students This Year

In the midst of a legal battle accusing them of discriminating against Asian Americans, Harvard University admitted a record number of the pan-ethnic group for the Class of 2023.

On Thursday, the university announced that the share of Asian Americans in its latest admissions cycle is 25.4% — the highest percentage ever — out of 1,950 successful applicants.

That fraction is up from last year’s 22.7%, as well as an increase of 12% in the share of the admitted class made of Asian Americans, according to Inside Higher Ed.

Of the 1,950 new students, African Americans make up 14.8%, Latinx 12.4%, Native Americans 1.8% and native Hawaiians 0.6%.

In terms of sex, the admitted class is composed of 50% men and 50% women. First-generation students, or those whose parents or legal guardians have not completed a bachelor’s degree, make up 16.4%.

“The Class of 2023 is remarkably accomplished and promising by any standard,” said Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid William R. Fitzsimmons. “Reading their applications and getting to know these individuals through their unique experiences and talents inspires great confidence for the future of Harvard College and our society.”

The table below shows the percentage of Asian Americans accepted in Harvard’s last 10 admission cycles:

Speaking to the Harvard Crimson, Fitzsimmons, who previously admitted that White applicants had “somewhat stronger” recommendations than Asian Americans, said that the increase in the latter is “the normal course of events.”

“As it turns out, there was an increase in the number of Asian-American applications as well, and that’s something we would expect literally over the next generation,” he said.

The anti-affirmative action case, filed by the Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) in 2014, accuses the university of favoring African American and Latinx applicants over Asian Americans during admissions to maintain racial diversity on campus.

Judge Allison D. Burroughs is expected to announce her ruling in the case, which went to trial in October, sometime this year.

Featured Image via Wikimedia Commons / Gunnar Klack (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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