Harvard's Black freshman share falls to 9.3%, TheGrio reports

Black students make up 9.3% of Harvard's incoming freshman class this fall, down from 18% in 2023 and 14% in 2024, according to a TheGrio report published Oct. 28, 2026. TheGrio says Harvard released the data this week and that The New York Times reported it. TheGrio dates the Supreme Court ruling that ended race-conscious admissions to 2023.

TheGrio reports that Asian American students are now 43% of Harvard's incoming class, up from 37% in both 2023 and 2024. In an earlier report, TheGrio said Harvard's class of 2029, released Oct. 23, 2025, was about 12% Black or African American, down from 14% in 2024.

TheGrio also reports figures from other schools. At Yale, Black students are about 10% of the incoming class, compared with 14% two years ago. Princeton's Black freshman enrollment rose to 8.9% after falling to 5% last year. Amherst is at 9%, up from 3% right after the ruling. Columbia is at 13%, up slightly from 12%.

TheGrio reports that Richard Kahlenberg, who testified for the plaintiffs, told the Times the decline was avoidable. According to TheGrio, he said Harvard's old admissions model gave large racial preferences to upper-middle-class Black and Hispanic students. TheGrio also cites Yale law professor Justin Driver, who it says called the decline predictable but avoidable. It says he criticized the Trump administration for "peddling distorted interpretations" of the ruling.

TheGrio reports that the administration has sought more Harvard admissions records. It says the administration argues it needs them to check for discrimination against white applicants. Harvard has challenged parts of the request, and the dispute is pending in federal court.

TheGrio notes limits on the data. Some students decline to disclose their race, and universities report multiracial students differently.

What we don't know yet

• The 2026 Harvard figures come from TheGrio's account of Harvard's release as reported by the Times. This briefing has not checked them against Harvard's release or the Times article.
• The comparison years differ between reports. TheGrio's 2026 report cites 2023 and 2024 figures, and its 2025 report put last year's class at about 12%.
• How multiracial students and students who did not disclose their race are counted can change the figures, and the schools may not count them the same way.
• How the federal court will rule in the dispute over Harvard's admissions records.
• How the administration responds to Driver's criticism. TheGrio's account, as summarized here, does not include a response.