A recent working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research examines the effects of statewide bans on race-conscious admissions across four U.S. states that enacted such restrictions over the past two decades.
Impact on College Graduation Rates and Employment
The study’s findings reveal that Hispanic women encountered significant declines in college graduation rates, earnings, and employment after these bans were implemented, preceding the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling which effectively invalidated race-conscious admissions practices nationwide. While Black women’s earnings also decreased following the bans, the change was not statistically significant according to the research.
Improvement in Earnings for Some Demographics
In contrast, the earnings of White women and Black men showed improvements following the implementation of the admissions bans. However, economists, including Michael Lovenheim, a professor at Cornell University and a co-author of the study, categorized the earnings increase among Black men as “insignificant,” given the minor magnitude of the change and the limited sample size for this demographic within the research.
Informing Higher Education Administrators
The study aims to inform higher education administrators about the potential implications of the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, a decision that experts suggest may complicate the efforts of selective colleges to maintain diverse student bodies. Post-ruling, several highly selective institutions, such as Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), reported declines in enrollment numbers among Black, Hispanic, and other racial and ethnic minority groups.
Data Analysis and Terminology
To evaluate the impact of race-conscious admissions policies, the working paper analyzes U.S. Census data from states including Washington, Texas, Florida, and California—among the first states to prohibit race-conscious admissions before the Supreme Court’s decision.
While the paper employs the term “affirmative action bans,” some scholars advocate for the label “race-conscious admissions” to more accurately reflect these policies. The study concludes that these bans have intensified racial and ethnic disparities among various female groups. Lovenheim underscored the necessity for higher education institutions to consider alternative strategies aimed at promoting equity in access and outcomes.
Adverse Consequences for Hispanic Women
The adverse consequences of these bans were particularly evident among Hispanic women, who experienced an 8.1% decrease in earnings, in addition to a 3.6 percentage point reduction in employment rates and a 4 percentage point drop in college attainment. Conversely, White women saw a 3.3% increase in earnings following the bans. The study posits that the repeal of race-conscious admissions policies may have unintentionally enhanced labor outcomes for Black men, potentially enabling these individuals to enroll at institutions more congruent with their academic qualifications. The authors, however, advise caution against making definitive conclusions from this observation.
Variations Across States
Differences in the effects of these admissions bans across states reveal variations in racial demographics and the selectivity of public colleges, with California’s public universities being notably more selective than those in Florida and Washington. Lovenheim noted that selective admissions practices are crucial for effective affirmative action implementation, suggesting that less selective institutions may struggle with executing such policies. Future research should delve deeper into state-specific variations in outcomes.
(Original source: Higher Ed Dive)