MIT sees rise in Asian American students after SCOTUS affirmative action ruling

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has seen a significant shift in the demographics of its incoming class, with an increase in Asian American and international students following the Supreme Court’s ruling that struck down race-conscious admissions policies.

Class of 2028 profile: The first-year class profile for the class of 2028 reveals that Asian American and international student populations have grown, while Black and Latino enrollments have sharply declined. Asian American students are the only demographic that saw a notable increase, rising to 47% from 41% in the previous year, while international students also experienced a 1% increase, rising from last year’s 10%. Meanwhile, only 5% of the incoming class is Black, down from an average of 13% from the class of 2027, and Latino students now make up 11% of the class, compared to a previous average of 15%. Overall, the percentage of students from historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, including Pacific Islander students, decreased from 25% in recent years to 16% for this class.
MIT’s commitment: MIT was among institutions supporting race-conscious admissions through an amicus brief. The university’s dean of admissions, Stu Schmill, previously anticipated a decline in student body diversity. Following the Supreme Court’s ruling, MIT expanded its recruitment and financial aid efforts to focus on low-income students from all backgrounds. Schmill noted that while race is no longer considered in admissions, MIT aims to achieve diversity through other factors such as fields of study and areas of research, extracurricular activities and economic and geographic backgrounds.

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