Here's when all 8 Ivy Leagues began admitting minorities — and how they're responding to the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling

Talia LakritzJul 1, 2023, 02:22 IST

Students take part in commencement at Harvard University in 2023.Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday to end race-based affirmative action in college admissions.
Ivy League presidents called the ruling "disappointing" and "unwelcome."

On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled in two cases that considering race in the college admissions process was unconstitutional.

The rulings effectively ended affirmative action — a practice in which applicants from groups that have historically been the subject of discrimination, such as women and people of color, are given additional weight in order to increase opportunities for these groups and bolster diversity.

Minorities have long been underrepresented in Ivy League institutions. While some schools, such as Cornell, began admitting women and Black students in the late 1800s, others, like Columbia, didn't admit women until the 1980s.

Here's when all eight Ivy League universities opened their doors to people other than white men — and how they're responding to the Supreme Court's decision.

Dartmouth began admitting Black students in 1824. Women weren't allowed to enroll until 1972.

Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.Jay Yuan/Shutterstock

Cornell admitted its first Black student in 1869, and began admitting women and students of color in 1870.

Cornell University in Ithaca, New York.Lewis Liu/Shutterstock

Harvard's first Black student graduated in 1870, and it combined admissions with its women's college, Radcliffe, in 1975.

Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.Scott Eisen/Getty Images

The first students of color at Brown graduated in 1877. The first women enrolled in 1891.

Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.Denis Tangney Jr./Getty Images

In 1879, the first Black students enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania. It became fully coed in 1974.

The University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.f11photo/Shutterstock

Princeton's first Black students, who graduated in 1947, were part of a Naval Training School. Women could enroll at Princeton beginning in 1969.

Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey.John Greim / Getty Images

Yale implemented affirmative action in the 1960s, admitting its first group of Black students in 1964 and women in 1969.

Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut.Michelle McLoughlin/Reuters

Columbia's first known Black student graduated in 1906. The college didn't admit women until 1983, making it the last Ivy to do so.

Columbia University in New York, New York.LENS-68/Shutterstock

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Here's when all 8 Ivy Leagues began admitting minorities &mdash; and how they're responding to the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling