20. Make data about athletics admissions transparent

Admissions 09.16.24

Here’s what the federal government can do:

  • The U.S. Department of Education should collect and disseminate disaggregated data on athletics admissions preferences.
  • The U.S. Department of Education should conduct and disseminate research into the use of athletics recruiting and preferences and their effects on the racial diversity of colleges and universities.

Here’s what state government can do:

  • State legislatures and higher education coordinating agencies should require colleges and universities to report athletics recruitment and admissions data in an easily accessible and publicly available manner.

Here’s what institutional leaders can do:

  • Higher education institutions should evaluate the degree to which athletics preferences undermine or contribute to campus diversity.

Data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics database show that the majority of all student athletes are white and that the share of white student athletes is even higher for Ivy League and other elite, hyper-selective institutions.[i] A 2003 book found that recruited athletes at academically selective colleges and universities are as much as four times more likely to gain admission than other applicants with similar academic backgrounds.[ii] Thorough review of this practice and its effects is urgently needed.[iii] These data suggest that athletics preferences confer a benefit on white students and that more transparent data are needed to inform future decision-making.

[i]“What Is the Equity in Athletics Data Analysis Cutting Tool?” U.S Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education, Equity in Athletics Data Analysis. https://ope.ed.gov/athletics/#/.

[ii]Levin, Sarah; & Bowen, William. “Reclaiming the Game: College Sports and Educational Values,” https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED543212.

[iii]White, Scott. “College Athletes Get Way More Than A Slice Of The Admissions Pie,” Forbes, October 6, 2023. https://www.forbes.com/sites/scottwhite/2023/10/06/college-athletes-get-way-more-than-a-slice-of-the-admissions-pie/?sh=1fc467f6422c. and Desai, Saahil. “College Sports Are Affirmative Action for Rich White Students” The Atlantic, October 23, 2018. https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2018/10/college-sports-benefits-white-students/573688/.