Diversity and Inclusion in Higher Education

The ACLU Racial Justice Program supports and advocates for admissions policies that increase access to underrepresented groups who face systemic barriers to higher education and acknowledge students’ relevant experiences with race, and recognizes colleges and universities responsibility to open campuses to students of color, even after the Supreme Court’s ruling against affirmative action.

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What you need to know

6%
The share of Black freshmen at elite schools is virtually unchanged since 1980. Black students are just 6 percent of freshmen but 15 percent of college-age Americans.
7X
White college graduates have over seven times more wealth than Black college graduates.
37%
Since Fall 2010, Native American enrollment has declined from 196,000 to 123,000, a 37 percent decrease.

What's at Stake

Our nation’s future as a thriving multiracial democracy depends on students having the freedom and opportunity to learn, work together, and understand what unites us. The Supreme Court’s decision to restrict the consideration of race in admissions processes does not change the responsibility of colleges and universities to increase educational opportunities for students across all races and ethnicities and to create thriving campuses that include people from all backgrounds.

Colleges and university systems must remain committed to examining and revising existing policies to ensure every student gets a fair shot, including eliminating the use of standardized test scores in admissions, increasing guaranteed financial support, and developing robust middle and high school pipelines in underserved communities. We must invest in pathways that increase access to opportunities for students across all races and ethnicities, and address discrimination and systemic racial inequalities that persist. The ACLU is committed to challenging unconstitutional disciplinary policies that disparately target students of color and infringe on their right to a safe learning environment.

Our nation’s future as a thriving multiracial democracy depends on students having the freedom and opportunity to learn, work together, and understand what unites us. The Supreme Court’s decision to restrict the consideration of race in admissions processes does not change the responsibility of colleges and universities to increase educational opportunities for students across all races and ethnicities and to create thriving campuses that include people from all backgrounds.

Colleges and university systems must remain committed to examining and revising existing policies to ensure every student gets a fair shot, including eliminating the use of standardized test scores in admissions, increasing guaranteed financial support, and developing robust middle and high school pipelines in underserved communities. We must invest in pathways that increase access to opportunities for students across all races and ethnicities, and address discrimination and systemic racial inequalities that persist. The ACLU is committed to challenging unconstitutional disciplinary policies that disparately target students of color and infringe on their right to a safe learning environment.

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