Stanford sees Asian enrollment spike after affirmative action ruling

The Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision ending race-conscious admissions has reshaped Stanford University’s incoming class, with Asian and white students now comprising their largest shares in three years.

By the numbers: This fall’s incoming class consists of 1,956 students, including 1,866 freshmen and 90 transfers. According to university data using “check all that apply” methodology — where students select multiple racial categories — Asian students now represent 43.95% of the class, up from 41.3%, while white students account for 42.1%, up from 41.6%. Both groups are three-year peaks. Conversely, representation declined for Black students to 5.8% from 7%, Hispanic students to 12.4% from 15% and international students to 12.7% from 14%.

This marks the second class admitted following the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling. The university justified the expansion by saying it wanted “to give a greater number of talented, exceptionally well-qualified students the opportunity to earn a Stanford degree.” Meanwhile, financial aid averaged $69,415 among recipients, with no tuition, room or board charges for families earning under $100,000 annually.

What this means: These demographic shifts mirror patterns emerging nationwide as elite universities adjust to new legal constraints. Greater Asian enrollment could validate longstanding complaints about discrimination raised in Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) cases, though it also raises concerns about whether progress for one group comes at another’s expense in a fixed admissions pool.

At Harvard, for comparison, Asian American students comprise 41% of the Class of 2029 — climbing 11 percentage points from 29.9% in the Class of 2027, which predated the court ruling — while Black representation fell to 11.5% from 14% and Hispanic to 11% from 16%, marking the steepest drop. The competitive pressures have created acute stress for Asian American applicants. This was exemplified by a Northern California student who legally adopted a new name and fabricated North Dakota residency to secure Yale admission, believing her actual Asian identity disadvantaged her application, only to face expulsion this past September after her roommate uncovered the fraud.

The big picture: The data reflects broader national trends. Black enrollment at Princeton fell to 5%, equaling its lowest point since 1968, while an Associated Press review of 20 selective schools documented declining Black student numbers at nearly all institutions, including Caltech and Bates where Black freshmen comprise about 2%.

Stanford Dean of Admission Richard Shaw told the Stanford Daily the university “is in full compliance with the law and is unwavering in its commitment to non-discrimination,” while President Jonathan Levin emphasized “other aspects of diversity” through increased enrollment and expanded recruiting that reached over 30,000 students through more than 1,100 events nationally.