A Silver Lining for HBCUs in Affirmative Action’s Demise

Over the past few weeks, a steady stream of highly selective colleges have reported significant declines in first-time Black student enrollment, a drop most institutions have pinned on the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative action ban. But one college’s challenge is another’s opportunity: Historically Black colleges and universities appear to be benefiting from a windfall of applicants and new students this fall.

Applications to Hampton University, a private HBCU in Virginia, rose from 13,000 to 17,000 for the Class of 2028. Morehouse College, an all-male institution in Atlanta, had more than 8,000 applications this year, a 34 percent increase from last year’s 6,000, according to data that the college made available to Inside Higher Ed.