Striking findings from 2023
Here’s a look back at 2023 through some of our most striking research findings.
Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
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Affirmative Action
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Affirmative Action
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Private, selective colleges are most likely to use race, ethnicity as a factor in admissions decisions
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to limit affirmative action in higher education is likely to have the biggest impact on a relatively small group of schools.
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Americans and affirmative action: How the public sees the consideration of race in college admissions, hiring
Here’s a closer look at what recent surveys have found about Americans’ views of affirmative action.
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Asian Americans Hold Mixed Views Around Affirmative Action
About half of Asian adults who have heard of affirmative action (53%) say it is a good thing, 19% say it is a bad thing, and 27% say they don’t know whether it is good or bad. However, about three-quarters of all Asian adults (76%) say race or ethnicity should not factor into college admissions decisions.
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More Americans Disapprove Than Approve of Colleges Considering Race, Ethnicity in Admissions Decisions
Half of U.S. adults say they disapprove of selective colleges and universities taking prospective students’ racial and ethnic backgrounds into account when making admissions decisions. 33% approve of colleges considering race and ethnicity to increase diversity at the schools, while 16% are not sure.
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Hispanic enrollment reaches new high at four-year colleges in the U.S., but affordability remains an obstacle
Hispanic enrollment at postsecondary institutions in the U.S. has risen from 1.5 million in 2000 to a new high of 3.8 million in 2019.
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As courts weigh affirmative action, grades and test scores seen as top factors in college admissions
More than nine-in-ten Americans (93%) say high school grades should be at least a minor factor in admissions decisions.
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Most Americans say colleges should not consider race or ethnicity in admissions
Just 7% of Americans say race should be a major factor in college admissions, while 19% say it should be a minor factor.
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Hispanics to benefit from Obama’s community college plan
More Hispanics are already enrolled in college than ever before and, among those who are, nearly half (46%) attend a public two-year school, the highest share of any race or ethnicity.
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More Hispanics, blacks enrolling in college, but lag in bachelor’s degrees
From 1996 to 2012, college enrollment among Hispanics ages 18 to 24 more than tripled (240% increase), outpacing increases among blacks (72%) and whites (12%).
