FACT BRIEF

After California banned affirmative action in 1996 was there a decline in minority enrollment at the state’s universities?

Monday, December 28, 2020

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

According to a University of California report, a 1996 ballot initiative banning affirmative action policies by the state caused “systemwide decline” of at least 12% in racial minority enrollment across its ten campuses. The decline was as high as 25% at the system's Berkeley campus. This may have resulted in part from the removal of race as a factor in financial aid funding as well as admissions decisions.

Today Latinos make up 52% of California high school graduates but 29% of U.C. enrollees. Black students are underrepresented in both the U.C. and California State University systems. Asian students are overrepresented in the U.C. system. The two systems together enrolled about 767,000 students in the fall of 2019.

Voters in 2020 rejected a ballot initiative to reinstate affirmative-action admissions at California's public universities and in state hiring and contracting policies.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

University of California: The impact of Proposition 209

EdSource: Dropping affirmative action had huge impact on California's public universities

Ballotpedia: California Proposition 16

University of California: Fall enrollment at a glance

California State University: Enrollment

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