Campus Diversity Under Pressure
How Colleges Are Responding to Legal and Political Shifts
With the Supreme Court’s ruling eliminating the use of race in college admissions—and the past 80 days of the Trump administration’s campaign against DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and so-called “wokeness”—it’s easy to assume that efforts to diversify college campuses are dead. The administration has threatened to drastically cut federal funding (hundreds of millions of dollars) to colleges that do not swiftly dismantle race- or gender-based departments, courses, and broadly defined DEI programs. We’ve already seen some of the wealthiest universities comply with these demands, so it's hard to imagine that smaller colleges with far less financial reserve would be able to resist such pressure.
On many campuses, there is a sense that they must simply “weather the storm” for four years when it comes to academic freedom and campus life. But the Supreme Court’s decision has no political timeline—it will shape admissions policies for the foreseeable future. As such, universities are working to maintain their commitment to diverse student bodies while adhering to the Court’s constraints.
Now, as we approach the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's ruling, colleges are getting creative. They are turning to race-neutral strategies: emphasizing socioeconomic diversity, expanding outreach to underrepresented communities, and applying holistic admissions processes that honor applicants’ unique experiences and contributions.
It is essential for college advisors and IECs (Independent Educational Consultants) to understand these evolving strategies so they can best support both their paying and pro bono clients.
Focusing on Socioeconomic Diversity:
Many colleges are prioritizing the admission of students from low-income backgrounds, recognizing that socioeconomic status can serve as a proxy for other forms of disadvantage. Preference might be given to applicants from certain geographic regions or zip codes with high concentrations of underrepresented students.
Colleges are also reevaluating legacy admissions, which often favor applicants from more privileged backgrounds and can perpetuate inequality. Some schools, like Wesleyan University and Amherst College, have eliminated legacy preferences altogether, making admissions more accessible to all students, regardless of family background.
For example, The University of California system, which does not use race in admissions, has long relied on socioeconomic and geographic diversity metrics and saw record numbers of underrepresented minority applicants in 2024.
One critical caveat—and we’ll likely be hearing this frequently—is that many institutions are now facing threats of reduced or frozen federal funding. If colleges lose tens of millions of dollars in support, they may look to tuition revenue to fill the gap, putting even more pressure on scholarship budgets.
Expanding Outreach and Recruitment:
We’re hearing from many Admission Offices that they are expanding recruitment efforts—reaching out to a broader range of schools, regions, and community-based organizations. The focus is on finding and engaging students from historically underserved communities.
This outreach is often slow and expensive, and it requires carefully tailored messaging. There is growing recognition that these efforts must start early—reaching students as early as middle school. While well-resourced institutions may be able to support this level of engagement, smaller colleges will likely find it financially burdensome.
I am hearing that organizations, including The Posse Foundation and QuestBridge continue to be important partners for many institutions aiming to build pipelines to diverse, high-achieving students.
Many colleges are also investing in programs like internships, scholarships, and mentorships to help overcome financial and social barriers. Some are partnering with local organizations to build homegrown pipelines of diverse talent in their own regions.
Additionally, some states are reviving or expanding “top percent” plans—such as the University of Texas’s Top 10% Rule—which guarantee admission to top-performing students from every high school, indirectly supporting racial and socioeconomic diversity due to school-level segregation.
Holistic Admissions Processes:
This is an area where IECs and advisors must pay close attention. While the Supreme Court has banned consideration of race in admissions, it does not prohibit colleges from considering an applicant’s lived experiences—including those shaped by race—as long as they are framed in terms of individual perspective and impact.
Admissions officers are being trained to assess a range of applicant qualities: academic achievement, extracurricular involvement, personal essays, and recommendation letters. Increasing emphasis is being placed on non-academic traits such as resilience, collaboration, leadership, initiative, and self-direction.
Organizations like the Character Collaborative, where I served on the Board of Directors, have long promoted these non-academic dimensions of student success. Many colleges are now formally integrating such measures into their admissions rubric.
IECs should be helping students reflect on and articulate these qualities throughout their applications. It's important not to lose sight of the broader admissions goal: colleges are still looking for students who will contribute meaningfully to campus life, support a diverse learning community, and participate in cross-cultural dialogue.
Bottom Line:
Despite political and legal headwinds, diversity—in all its forms—remains central to the mission of thousands of colleges. Many institutions are working harder than ever to identify and support students who have historically been overlooked in the admissions process.
So far, results are mixed. Some colleges have maintained a diverse student body despite the new restrictions, while others have seen measurable declines. We’ll be watching closely as more data becomes available—and as colleges refine their approaches to balancing compliance with commitment.
Great article Mark. Thank you.