The College did not experience a decline in racial diversity for the Class of 2028 — the first students to be admitted since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative action — College President Sian Leah Beilock announced in an email to the Dartmouth community Monday morning.
According to Dartmouth News, the Class of 2028 saw an overall increase — from 26.5% last year to 28.2% this year — in United States citizens and permanent residents from underrepresented racial and ethnic backgrounds. The percentage of students identifying as Hispanic or Latino rose three points, to 12.7%. The percentage of students from every other listed underrepresented racial or ethnic background, however, decreased, albeit slightly. The share of students who identify as Black or African American and Asian American declined — from 10.9% to 10.2% and 23.3% to 21.8%, respectively. Native American and Indigenous students represent 5.3% of the Class of 2028, down from 5.9% last year.
The Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision “significantly limited how universities may consider race in admissions policies and practices,” Beilock wrote. To comply, the College “masked” applicants’ Common App responses concerning racial identity until after the Class of 2028’s membership was finalized in mid-June, according to Dartmouth News.
“While people differ in opinion on the merits of the court’s decision, Dartmouth’s north star remains the same: to attract students from the broadest swath of society who are excelling in their environment, to help them learn how to think — not what to think — and to engage in meaningful dialogue across difference, so they can leave here prepared to lead our democracy,” Beilock wrote.
In addition to sustaining racial and ethnic diversity, Dartmouth admitted a “record-setting” 17% of first-generation students, Dartmouth News announced. An “all-time high” for the College, 19.4% of the Class of 2028 will also receive Pell Grants — a 5% increase from last year. Moreover, more than one in five students qualify for the Britt Scholarship, Dartmouth’s largest scholarship bequest in its history. The scholarship raises the threshold for “zero parent contribution” from $65,000 to $125,000, giving Dartmouth the highest in the nation.
The Class of 2028 also marks the College’s most competitive admissions cycle to date. Dartmouth saw both its lowest-ever acceptance rate, 5.3%, and its largest-ever applicant pool, 31,657, while drawing students from 49 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 64 countries. In addition, 15% come from rural areas — following an increased emphasis on rural recruitment launched this past year.
