Supreme Court ends Affirmative Action in College Admissions

Washington, DC – As expected, the Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the affirmative action admission policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which gave weight to a would-be student’s race, are unconstitutional. This decision is among the expected opinions to be released this week, as we first reported.

What We Know:

• The Supreme Court ruled that the affirmative action admission policies of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, which gave weight to a would-be student’s race, are unconstitutional.

“We have never permitted admissions programs to work in that way, and we will not do so today,” the opinion said.

• The court’s majority opinion said that both Harvard’s and UNC’s affirmative action programs “unavoidably employ race in a negative manner, involve racial stereotyping, and lack meaningful end points.”

What This Means:

• The end of affirmative action in colleges and universities means that schools will no longer be able to consider race as a factor in admissions decisions. This could have a significant impact on the diversity of college campuses, as well as on the opportunities available to students from underrepresented groups.
• The Supreme Court's decision to end affirmative action in college admissions is likely to be met with mixed reactions. Some people will be pleased that the court has affirmed the principle of colorblindness, while others will be disappointed that the court has made it more difficult for students from underrepresented groups to attend college.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated.