Elite US universities embrace low-income students after affirmative action ban

Top universities in the US are admitting more low-income students than ever before. This shift comes after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in higher education last year. Many elite schools have now set ambitious targets to boost socioeconomic diversity on campus. Princeton University has led the way with its most economically diverse freshman class to date. One in four new students now qualifies for federal Pell grants, a key indicator of low-income status. The university's president, Christopher Eisgruber, has made it clear that increasing socioeconomic diversity requires deliberate effort from college leaders.

Other prestigious institutions have followed suit. Yale, Duke, Johns Hopkins, and MIT have all reported record numbers of Pell-eligible students over the past two years. MIT, in particular, has reaffirmed its commitment to making education accessible to students from all backgrounds.

A broader trend is emerging across 17 highly selective colleges, where nearly all have seen rises in Pell-eligible enrollment between 2023 and this year. Amherst College has taken a bold step by eliminating tuition for students in the bottom 80% of US earners, resulting in steady growth in low-income admissions. Swarthmore College experienced the sharpest increase, with Pell enrollment jumping from 17% to 30% in just one year.

However, the push for socioeconomic diversity has drawn scrutiny. The Trump administration has argued that prioritising students based on income or geography could serve as a racial proxy, potentially violating the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling against race-based admissions. The surge in low-income enrollments marks a clear response to the end of affirmative action. Universities are now focusing on socioeconomic factors to maintain diversity. While the approach has expanded access for many students, legal and political debates over its fairness are likely to continue.