As Supreme Court Considers Affirmative Action, Colleges See Few Other Ways to Diversity Goals

As an alternative to affirmative action, colleges from California to Florida have tried a range of strategies to achieve the diversity they say is essential to their campuses. Many have given greater preference to low-income families. Others started admitting top students from every community in their state. But after years of experimentation — often prompted by state-level bans on considering race in admissions — there’s no clear solution.