The Supreme Court and Race-Conscious Admission
Jump ahead to: Webinars | Amicus Brief | Podcast Episode | News Coverage | Research and Resources
Oral arguments in the SFFA v. Harvard/UNC race-conscious admission cases took place on Monday, October 31, 2022. The Court’s majority justices appeared to cast a skeptical eye on the two institutions’ methods for incorporating race into the admission decision-making process. Their final opinion will not be issued until early- to mid-2023. NACAC is developing resources to assist colleges and high schools adapt as necessary to the decision when it is issued, building on collaborative work with the Access and Diversity Collaborative and including future NACAC education and training content.
Stay informed on these cases with these resources.

Amicus Brief
NACAC is proud to be among the scores of education-focused organizations that submitted amicus briefs to the Supreme Court. Read the Amicus Brief Â


College Admissions Decoded Podcast Episode: Race-Conscious Admission and the Potential Implications of the Upcoming Supreme Court Ruling
Recorded November 14th, 2022 | 38:01
Resources mentioned in the episode:
- The Playbook: Understanding the Role of Race Neutral Strategies in Advancing Higher Education Diversity Goals, 2nd Edition – All Access, News for College Board Members
- Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, et.al: What the Federal District Court Said and What It Can Mean for Postsecondary Institutions that Consider Race in Admissions – All Access, News for College Board Members
News Coverage
- If Affirmative Action Ends, College Admissions May Be Changed Forever – New York Times
- What’s at stake in the Supreme Court affirmative action cases – PBS NewsHour
- How the Supreme Court affirmative action case may impact higher ed in Boston – WBUR Boston
- As Race-Conscious Admissions Policies Go Before the Supreme Court, Here’s What 6 Experts Are Listening For – The Chronicle
- A Racial Reckoning For College Access In America – Forbes
- The case that could overhaul college admissions – Politico
- How 2 SCOTUS cases could change American universities – Yahoo News
- How can colleges prepare for the possibility the Supreme Court will strike down race-conscious admissions? – Higher Ed Dive
- The Supreme Court Has Upheld Race-Conscious Admissions Again and Again. Will This Time Be Different? – The Chronicle
- The Future Of Affirmative Action – NPR’s 1A
- The Playbook: Understanding the Role of Race Neutral Strategies in Advancing Higher Education Diversity Goals, 2nd Edition – All Access, News for College Board Members
- Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. University of North Carolina, et.al: What the Federal District Court Said and What It Can Mean for Postsecondary Institutions that Consider Race in Admissions – All Access, News for College Board Members


Research and Resources
The Access and Diversity Collaborative’s
Action Guide for Higher Education
The Access and Diversity Collaborative (ADC), of which NACAC is a sponsoring member, has developed an action guide for postsecondary institutions to begin preparing for the Supreme Court’s decision in the Harvard and UNC cases later this year. NACAC will provide additional guidance and educational resources in the months ahead.