The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s incoming class is less diverse this year, following a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action in college admissions.
The 2024 data reveals a shift in the composition of UNC Chapel Hill’s student body, with a notable decline in minority enrollment and an increase in white and Asian students, as NC Newsline reports.
The university’s latest data shows that students identifying as white or Asian now make up 89.6% of first-year and transfer students, compared to 88.5% in 2023. Meanwhile, students from Black, Hispanic, and Native American backgrounds have seen a decrease, now comprising 19% of the class, down from 22.9% last year.
This marks the first academic year since the Supreme Court struck down the use of race-based considerations in admissions. The June 2023 decision, a 6-3 decision made along ideological lines, found that these policies violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause.
Following this decision, many universities, including UNC Chapel Hill, had to adjust their admissions processes. The university has acknowledged that it is still too early to determine long-term trends from a single year of data. “It’s too soon to see trends with just one year of data,” said Rachelle Feldman, the university’s vice provost for enrollment, in a statement.
Of the specific demographic changes, the largest drop was among Black students, whose enrollment decreased from 10.5% in 2023 to 7.8% in 2024. Hispanic enrollment also fell from 10.8% to 10.1%, and Native American students now make up just 1.1% of the class, down from 1.6% the previous year.
While the overall number of minority students decreased, the percentage of Asian students grew from 24.8% in 2023 to 25.8% this year. White students saw a slight increase, moving from 63.7% to 63.8% of the student population. Other smaller demographic groups, like Pacific Islanders, also saw modest growth, with their numbers increasing from 0.2% to 0.3% this year.
Despite these shifts, UNC Chapel Hill is committed to ensuring access for students from all backgrounds, according to Feldman. The university continues to welcome students from all 100 counties of North Carolina and beyond.
“We are committed to following the new law,” Feldman stated. She emphasized that UNC remains dedicated to making students from all parts of the state feel welcome and supported on campus, despite the changes in admissions policies. Feldman added that the university strives to ensure all students have confidence in the affordability and accessibility of a UNC education.
Despite the changes in diversity, interest in the university remains high. The school received a record number of applications for the fall 2024 semester, with 73,192 students applying, a 15.8% increase from the previous year.
The incoming class includes 4,641 first-year students and 983 transfer students, with 4,608 of them hailing from North Carolina. Another 1,016 students are from out-of-state or international locations. Students in the 2024 class come from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and 79 countries, showing a broad geographic reach even as the racial diversity within the U.S. portion of the student body has shifted.
As the first-year post-affirmative action ruling landscape unfolds, many observers will be watching how the demographic trends at UNC Chapel Hill evolve. While some groups have seen enrollment declines, the university's leadership is focused on ensuring that students from every background can find a place at the institution.
Looking ahead, UNC Chapel Hill will likely continue to adapt its admissions strategies in light of the Supreme Court ruling, as schools across the country face similar challenges. The full impact of these changes may only become clear in future years. The drop in Black, Hispanic, and Native American enrollment stands in contrast to an increase in white and Asian students, reflecting the broader effects of the court's decision.
