Georgetown University enrolled more white, Asian and Hispanic students in the undergraduate Class of 2028, the first class admitted without race-based affirmative action in place, than in previous classes, according to data in an Oct. 9 university press release. 

According to the university’s data, of enrolled first-years who self-reported their race, 26% are Asian, 9% Black, 1% Native American, 1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 12% Hispanic and 63% white. Students could self-select one or multiple racial or ethnic identities or choose not to report their race or ethnicity; 9% of students did not report. The university’s data excludes international students, who represent 8% of the class.

The university’s released data does not differentiate between non-Hispanic and Hispanic students within each racial group, nor does it report on the racial or ethnic background of international students.

The university’s data uses a different methodology to previously available federal datasets — the university’s data allowed students to select more than one racial or ethnic identity, while publicly available data the university released to the U.S. Department of Education classified students by one race only or as mixed-race. 

Under that different formula, the Class of 2027 includes 52.3% white, 18.6% Asian, 5.4% Black, 4.5% Hispanic, 7.1% mixed race and 8.5% international students, with no reports on the racial or ethnic background of international students or the racial identities of Hispanic students. According to a university spokesperson, the university typically releases data using this methodology in spring.  

The 2023-24 undergraduate admissions cycle — during which the university admitted members of the Class of 2028 — was the first in which the university could not consider race in its admissions process following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to end race-based affirmative action.

This is a developing story. More information will be added as it becomes available.