Blacks Make Up 18 Percent of Admitted Students at Harvard University

Harvard College accepted 3.43 percent of applicants to the Class of 2025 — 1,968 students out of the 57,435 who applied — marking the lowest admissions rate in college history. A year ago, Harvard accepted 4.92 percent of all applicants.

African American or Black students make up 18 percent of the admitted class, a significant increase from the 14.8 percent of the admitted students for the previous class. Typically the yield rate for Balck students at Harvard is lower than the yield rate for the accepted class as a whole. Thus, the percentage of Black who enroll in the first-year class at Harvard is usually slightly less than the percentage of Black students who are admitted.

“We have the most diverse class in the history of Harvard this year, economically and ethnically,” reports William R. Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions and financial aid. “This is an incoming group of students who’ve had experiences unlike any experiences first-year students have had in the history of Harvard or history of higher education.”

Related Articles

12 COMMENTS

  1. This nothing more than ANOTHER MISLEADING REPORT from the implicitly racist institution called Harvard University. It appears the mendacious William R. Fitzsimmons has taken a page out of the infamous book titled “How to Lie with Statistics” (Huff, 1954) in reference to the actual number of “Native born Black Americans” students at Harvard. Misleading Fitzsimmons managed to include is the number of “African/Immigrants” students at Harvard with the the number of “Native born African American” student in order to give have a higher percentage which is reprehensible. The fact remains, Fitzsimmons need to seriously disaggregate that data which will easily show other wise.

    • Michael, very interesting insight. Do you have any idea where we could get this breakout of US blacks v immigrant blacks?

    • Google. “Top colleges take more blacks but which ones”
      You’ll see an article from many years ago, via the NYT.
      And subsequently, the article was about Harvard.
      Your point is very valid. It was mainly Black Americas, especially the ancestors, fighting against those inequalities.
      So when you’re finally given an opportunity, for your fighting, then some Black folks, from another continent, come and suck up those resources, after being in the US for less than 10 years or something , it should make u feel some sort of way. America needs to factor in things like that, when they allow immigrants in, and dump then into the “minority pot”.

  2. Many if not most “immigrant” blacks are of Caribbean origin. They share a history of slavery and racial oppression with North American blacks.

    So the distinction should be drawn between blacks from North America and the Caribbean vs blacks from Mother Africa (whose antecedents may have been complicit in slavery).

    • Hey ‘ewart” (lower case ‘e’ intentional),

      Do not ever try to compare what happened to people in the Caribbean and “native born Black Americans in the USA because it’s an utter Insult. ‘ewart’, I would suggest that you take your grievance back to the Caribbean and Europe.

      • Michael. you have officially gone off the rails. The only difference between Caribbean and North American slavery is the fact that the slaves in the Caribbean were much more tenacious fighters AND more willing as a group, to use the terrain as a tool to beat or frustrate their captors. They were also less willing to depend on the largesse of abolitionists.

        • Hey ‘teresa’ (lower case ‘t’ intentional),

          It’s quite evident you hail from one of those Third World Countries called the Caribbean. Your inaccurate comparative analysis between the Caribbean and “Native born Black Americans” is definitely flawed. You have the Chutzpah to talk about “tenacious fighters” in the Caribbean, yet, all of the Caribbean is nothing more that neocolonial outposts for the Western Powers and now the PRC (that’s the People’s Republic of China in case you didn’t know). Further, your misguided comment is a glaring example why “native born Black Americans do not partner with you. In my view, many of your ilk are nothing more than exploiters of this country. If your Third World country was so great why are you here in the USA. It’s time for you to go and make some curry goat soup, rice and peas, and a beef patty.

  3. My insight is appropriately identified as Black Consciousness of the highest order. That said, one can very easily disaggregate all those who are “identified” as “Black American” (according to racist Harvard admissions personnel) and simply examine their surnames for starters. Or, if Harvard wanted to be intellectually honest and transparent they would make this data available for the public for robust analysis. Don’t hold your breath.

  4. Michael,

    Amazing stereotype thinking! Immigrants are responsible for all our woes. Whatever reasons brought you or your ancestors to “the land of the free” as long as you have that dark skin pigmentation you still face discrimation and the onorous task to prove your abilities.

    Havard, is opening up opportunities for “black folks” irrespective of your ancestoral antecedents, so why dwell on it? These kids are going to be leaders of America tomorrow and won’t it be better to encourage them to work together to fight the so called oppressors?

    Don’t promote division, only advocate positive enagagement amongst the different ethnic cultures in the black community. We will all end up better if we can achieve this.

  5. Hey Michael, What is Wrong with Curry Goat soup? I don’t understand why the distinction of origin is relevant. It would be one thing if the statement labeled White as every sub diversion creating a smaller percentage, but it was a broad statistic that accurately depicted its acceptance rates.

  6. @michael – (lower case ‘m’ humorous) You are doing a very poor job of making an important point understood. Your beliefs and peurile emotions blind you and prevent growth, and this has been demonstrated by even your failure to identify the positions of those you criticize. I thank you for the laughable command of language, for which my gratitude has earned you my reply. Your hopeless understanding of the world will likely never change. You are beyond help, which is why I wouldn’t have responded otherwise. You have my pity.

    @MoJ – Please take away from this that Harvard is being falsely reported as more diverse than it really is. Invalid aggregates can be used in many ways to mislead people, and you’ve not correctly remarked upon the most important issue at hand. Please know that false reporting of this nature encourages deceit, not diversity. You are not responsible for the lies of the report, but you are responsible for your own discretion and focus.

  7. These case being heard from the narrative of Mr. Blum the same character that gutted the voting rights bill is back at this “blame the blacks”. His narrative is that blacks are getting a Harvard education at the expense of Asians. When I was admitted in 2001 to the Private Law School Denver College of Law, there were 3 blacks. When the white students jumped on Bache , I raised my hand and asked who has a 4.0 in two areas and scored in the 90th percentile on the LSAT? Who’s spot did I take? When will the narrow attacks on AM Blacks stop?

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs