--- title: "Topic: Affirmative action in college admissions" description: "Americans are somewhat divided over whether selective colleges and universities should factor race and ethnicity into admissions decisions." date: "2024-12-20" authors: - name: "Peter Bell" url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/" categories: - "Affirmative Action" --- # Topic: Affirmative action in college admissions [![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/12/SR-23.07.03_RaceEthnicityCollege.jpg?w=640)](https://www.pewresearch.org/sr-23-07-03_raceethnicitycollege/) *Students walk through the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's race-conscious admissions program was recently at the center of a U.S. Supreme Court case. (Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)* [Legislative Semester Topic Briefs](https://www.pewresearch.org/collections/legislative-semester-topic-briefs/) [Affirmative Action in College Admissions](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-affirmative-action-in-college-admissions/)[Freedom of the Press](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-freedom-of-the-press/)[Government Aid to Immigrants in the U.S. Illegally](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-government-aid-to-immigrants-in-the-u-s-illegally/)[Gun Ownership and Regulation](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-gun-ownership-and-regulation/)[Legalizing Marijuana](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-legalizing-marijuana/)[Prayer in Schools](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-prayer-in-schools/)[Why Public Opinion Matters and How To Measure It](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-sheet/topic-why-public-opinion-matters-and-how-to-measure-it/) [** Download PDF](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/12/ls_2024.12.20_affirmative-action.pdf) ## Background Affirmative action can be traced to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. It is an effort to increase opportunities for racial and ethnic groups that face barriers advancing in the workplace and other institutions, including higher education. In the 1960s, colleges and universities began to set up admissions policies that gave disadvantaged groups more opportunities. There have been legal challenges through the years, and major Supreme Court decisions have narrowed the scope of these policies. Most recently, the court’s ruling in two cases in 2023 severely limited the use of affirmative action in college admissions. ## Public opinion polling says … In 2023, Pew Research Center surveyed U.S. adults on this topic. This was just before the Supreme Court announced historic [decisions on the policies at The University of North Carolina and Harvard College](https://www.scotusblog.com/2023/06/supreme-court-strikes-down-affirmative-action-programs-in-college-admissions/). It’s possible that views on this topic could have changed since those decisions. [![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/12/PRC_24.12.10_leg_semester_AA_pie.png?w=310)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=195790) The survey did not use the term “affirmative action,” which can be viewed as biased. We asked people whether they approved or disapproved of “selective colleges and universities taking race and ethnicity into account in admissions decisions in order to increase the racial and ethnic diversity at the school.” - **50%** disapprove of this, with 29% saying they strongly disapprove and 21% saying they disapprove somewhat. - **33%** approve, with 11% saying they strongly approve and 22% saying they approve somewhat. - **16%** say they’re not sure how they feel. ### How views differ by race and ethnicity - **47%** of Black adults approve of colleges taking race and ethnicity into account in admissions decisions. This is higher than the shares of Hispanic, Asian or White adults who approve. - **57%** of White adults and a similar share of Asian adults (52%) *disapprove *of these polices. These shares are higher than the shares for Black and Hispanic adults. [![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/12/PRC_24.12.10_leg_semester_AA_race_ethnicity.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=195791) Views on this topic also differ by party: 74% of Republicans and independents who lean to the Republican Party disapprove of colleges taking race and ethnicity into account in admissions decisions. By comparison, 29% of Democrats and Democratic leaners disapprove. ### How does the public feel about other factors in college admissions? In an earlier survey, we asked the public about several factors that could be considered in college admissions decisions, beyond race and ethnicity. Most Americans – 61% – said **high school grades** should be a major factor in college admissions decisions. About four-in-ten – 39% – said **standardized test scores** should be a major factor in these decisions. Relatively few – 7% – said **race or ethnicity** should be a major factor in admissions decisions. About three-quarters of adults (74%) said this should *not* be a factor. [![](https://www.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2024/12/PRC_24.12.10_leg_semester_AA_factors.png?w=420)](https://www.pewresearch.org/?attachment_id=195792) ## Discussion questions - Did anything about this data surprise you? - Why do you think so many Americans say they’re “not sure” whether they favor or oppose colleges taking race and ethnicity into account in admissions decisions? - Why do you think views on this issue differ by race and ethnicity? ## Additional resources short readJun 16, 2023 [ ](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/16/americans-and-affirmative-action-how-the-public-sees-the-consideration-of-race-in-college-admissions-hiring/) ### [Americans and affirmative action: How the public sees the consideration of race in college admissions, hiring](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/06/16/americans-and-affirmative-action-how-the-public-sees-the-consideration-of-race-in-college-admissions-hiring/) reportJun 8, 2023 [ ](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/06/08/more-americans-disapprove-than-approve-of-colleges-considering-race-ethnicity-in-admissions-decisions/) ### [More Americans Disapprove Than Approve of Colleges Considering Race, Ethnicity in Admissions Decisions](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2023/06/08/more-americans-disapprove-than-approve-of-colleges-considering-race-ethnicity-in-admissions-decisions/) reportOct 6, 2020 [ ](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/10/06/amid-national-reckoning-americans-divided-on-whether-increased-focus-on-race-will-lead-to-major-policy-change/) ### [Amid National Reckoning, Americans Divided on Whether Increased Focus on Race Will Lead to Major Policy Change](https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2020/10/06/amid-national-reckoning-americans-divided-on-whether-increased-focus-on-race-will-lead-to-major-policy-change/) reportJun 6, 2024 [ ](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/06/racial-attitudes-and-the-2024-election/) ### [Racial attitudes and the 2024 election](https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/06/06/racial-attitudes-and-the-2024-election/) We would like to thank the Legislative Semester for providing advice and counsel on sharing Pew Research Center’s data with high school students. Recommended Citation language: Pew Research Center, DECEMBER 2024, “Affirmative action in college admissions”