Harvard Law School (HLS) is experiencing a notable decline in the enrollment of students of color for its J.D. Class of 2027, the first group admitted after the Supreme Court’s decision to end affirmative action. The decrease reflects broader shifts in diversity on campus, raising questions about the future of inclusion at one of the nation’s most prestigious legal institutions.
On Thursday, Harvard Law School released data revealing that the enrollment of students of color in its J.D. Class of 2027 had dropped by eight percentage points compared to the previous year. The proportion of students of color fell from 51% in the Class of 2026 to 43% in the new class. This reduction follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that effectively ended affirmative action, which significantly altered the admissions landscape at HLS.
The decline is the most dramatic at HLS since 2014 and ties the Class of 2020 for the lowest percentage of students of color in recent years. The Law School did not provide a detailed racial demographic breakdown in its latest report. Alongside this shift, the share of first-generation and low-income students also decreased from 14% to 11%, further indicating a broader trend in the changing composition of incoming students.
The enrollment data comes in the wake of major adjustments to Harvard Law School’s admissions process, which now requires applicants to submit two new essays: a “Statement of Purpose” and a “Statement of Perspective.” These essays ask candidates to describe how their experiences, background, or interests have shaped them, replacing the previous requirement of a single personal statement. These changes mirror broader efforts to adapt to the post-affirmative action landscape.
Harvard Law School is not the only part of the university grappling with reduced diversity. Harvard College recently reported a four-percentage point drop in Black enrollment for its incoming class. Both institutions are recalibrating their admissions policies in response to the Supreme Court’s landmark ruling, which has already triggered shifts in the demographic composition of student bodies across the country.
While diversity metrics decreased, other aspects of Harvard Law School’s Class of 2027 remained stable or improved. The proportion of women in the class increased slightly, rising from 51% to 53%, and the number of students identifying as LGBTQ+ saw a notable uptick, jumping from 17% to 22%. Despite the decrease in diversity, academic standards were maintained, with LSAT percentiles remaining identical to those of the previous year and the median GPA increasing from 3.93 to 3.95.
HLS also saw a decline in the overall number of applicants, with 7,235 students applying for the Class of 2027, a 14% decrease compared to the 8,393 applications for the Class of 2026. This drop led to an increase in the school’s acceptance rate, which rose from 9.5% to 11%. Despite this decline in applications, HLS upheld its rigorous academic admissions criteria.
Harvard Law School did not make a formal announcement regarding the demographic shifts in its Class of 2027, quietly releasing the racial breakdown on Thursday without any accompanying statement or press release. This approach is consistent with the Law School’s history of not announcing demographic data for newly admitted classes. However, the rest of the 1L class profile—such as data on gender, LGBTQ+ status, and academic qualifications—had already been made public in late August.
According to an official at HLS, the racial demographic information was collected through a voluntary survey of enrolled students. Unlike previous application cycles, the school did not collect racial data through the admissions application itself, signaling a shift in its data collection practices following the Supreme Court’s decision.
The decline in the enrollment of students of color at Harvard Law School highlights the immediate impact of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action. While other elements of the incoming class—such as gender and LGBTQ+ representation—have improved, the reduced diversity underscores the challenges institutions like Harvard face in maintaining inclusive student bodies amid evolving legal and policy landscapes. As the legal community and educational institutions navigate these changes, the long-term effects on diversity in law schools remain to be seen.