31. Study admissions and enrollment policies and practices to identify barriers and elevate strategies to achieve equity and diversity in the student body.

Admissions 09.6.24

Here’s what the federal government can do:

  • Congress should fund research on policies and practices that contribute to or hinder equitable college admissions and enrollment.
  • The U.S. Department of Education should report research findings on policies and practices that contribute to or hinder equitable college admissions and enrollment.
  • The U.S. Department of Education should offer recommendations regarding existing or future legislation on policies and practices that contribute to or hinder equitable college admissions and enrollment.
  • The U.S. Department of Education should ensure that higher education institutions have access to and an understanding of best practices to advance diversity and inclusion in higher education.

Here’s what institutional leaders can do:

  • Higher education institutions and associations should conduct and disseminate research about admissions criteria, policies, and practices to evaluate bias, inform indicators of future success, and facilitate diverse student bodies across multiple lines of student characteristics.
  • Higher education institutions should review research about admissions and enrollment policies and practices and apply those strategies with evidence of increasing diversity and equity.

The federal government should fund and study strategies that address wealth and racial disparities in admissions, enrollment, and college completion in order to build stronger policies to achieve racial equity in higher education. The U.S. Department of Education should provide Congress with recommendations to address inequities that exist within the higher education system, particularly those experienced by students of color, first-generation students, and historically underrepresented students. The U.S. Department of Education released related information in 2023 on strategies to advance diversity and inclusion in higher education. [i] Colleges and universities themselves, and their associations, should contribute to the body of knowledge about admissions and enrollment to ensure equity and diversity.

[i] Strategies for Increasing Diversity and Opportunity in Higher Education. U.S. Department of Education Office of the Under Secretary, September 2023. https://sites.ed.gov/ous/files/2023/09/Diversity-and-opportunity-in-Higher-Education.pdf.