Economic Affirmative Action in College Admissions

Apr 1, 2003

Authors: Richard D. Kahlenberg

Publisher(s): The Century Foundation

The debate over admissions policies centers around three alternatives: (1) race-based preferences backed by most Democrats; (2) class-rank plans, admitting the top students in each high school, backed by the Bush administration; and (3) economic affirmative action for the disadvantaged of all races, which has broad popular support. The authors of this study warn against using class-rank plans to determine admission, but expanding current affirmative action programs to include low-income students because they can add both economic and racial diversity.