Our Statement Regarding the U.S. Supreme Court Decision on Race-based Admissions

June 29, 2023

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled today that higher education institutions can no longer consider race as a determining factor in admissions decisions by postsecondary institutions (also known as affirmative action). Affirmative action has long been used by many colleges and universities to reduce educational inequities and increase racial diversity on college campuses. The high court’s decision risks exacerbating inequities by reducing access to higher education opportunities for students of color and those of less privileged backgrounds. 

Critics of affirmative action argue the practice allows students of color to take admissions “slots” from more qualified students. However, enrollment data show that these policies are not shifting access from one population to another, but protecting increased access for those who suffer the consequences of systemic inequities throughout our educational system. There remains today persistent underrepresentation—particularly among Black, Hispanic and Indigenous students—relative to the overall population. Rather than supplanting more qualified students, affirmative action has broadened the criteria for “qualified” students, resulting in racially-minoritized individuals and others having increased opportunities to access elite institutions, earn more, and advance in their careers. 

Though the Court’s decision is disappointing and disheartening, HCM’s charge and mission remains unchanged.

At HCM Strategists, we remain committed to helping policymakers and institutional leaders ensure higher education is more accessible and equitable for all students. We must remember that this ruling directly affects only one aspect of the postsecondary system: four-year institutions with selective admissions. It makes the work more challenging, but it should not dissuade us from pursuing our work with a laser-focus on equity.  

We stand ready to support leaders to boldly tackle our nation’s historical and educational inequities with every available policy lever. Policymakers should invest in evidence-based strategies—dual enrollment and transfer pathways, FAFSA completion, well-designed and adequately funded public institutions and need-based financial aid programs, and holistic wraparound services—that promote broad student access and success and close racial equity gaps. Additionally, they should collect and elevate data that can reveal historical and persistent racial inequities and use the data to design targeted policies and practices. Further, they should build partnerships with K-12 systems and employers to create more—and more relevant—pathways into higher education. In this rapidly changing economy, every state has an economic imperative to ensure the success and upward mobility of students of color. Now more than ever, it is vitally important for states and institutions to employ these mechanisms to facilitate access to postsecondary education for all individuals from diverse racial backgrounds.