Admission to Ivy League and other elite colleges heavily favored the children of the top 1% of income earners in the United States, a new analysis from Harvard University has found. The study, conducted by economists at Opportunity Insights, revealed that “Ivy plus” colleges admitted children from families in the top 1% at more than twice the rate of students from other income groups with similar SAT or ACT scores. This disparity in admissions practices limits opportunities for students from less advantaged backgrounds, hindering social mobility and perpetuating privilege across generations.
The study also highlighted the impact of a less economically diverse student body on leadership roles in industries such as business and politics. Harvard economics professor and co-author of the paper, John Friedman, noted that a less diverse group of students at elite colleges would lead to a less diverse group of leaders in the future.
Surprisingly, the analysis also revealed that academically high-performing students from middle-income families were among the least likely to gain admission to these elite colleges. Students from the richest families who scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT or ACT were twice as likely to attend an Ivy-plus college compared to students with the same scores from the poorest families. Middle-class students with top scores had an even lower admission rate, with only about 10% attending an Ivy-plus college.
The release of this study comes after the Supreme Court recently ended affirmative action in college admissions, drawing attention to other forms of preference at top colleges, such as legacy admissions and wealth. The researchers suggested that elite colleges could increase socioeconomic diversity by changing their admissions policies, including an end to legacy admissions and the consideration of non-academic qualities that account for the impact of privilege.
The impact of attending elite colleges was also highlighted in the study. Students who attended Ivy-plus colleges were 60% more likely to earn in the top 1% of income, twice as likely to attend a top-ranked graduate school, and three times more likely to work at prestigious employers in various fields. While these colleges enroll less than 1% of college students, their outsized impact on shaping the next generation of leaders and the wealthy places greater scrutiny on their admissions practices.
In conclusion, the study argues that Ivy-plus colleges could meaningfully diversify the socioeconomic origins of society’s leaders by changing their admissions practices. By admitting a more economically diverse group of students, these elite institutions can contribute to greater social mobility and a more equitable society.