Study finds elite colleges still favor wealthy students despite increased enrollment rates

A new study from the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that most students at elite colleges still come from wealthy families. Researchers analyzed data from 2.5 million students over the past century, finding little change in low-income representation at Ivy League schools. While the percentage of low-income students at elite universities has remained low, public universities have seen some improvement. For example, the University of California, Berkeley, increased its low-income student enrollment from 3% in the 1920s to 10% by the early 2000s. The study also noted that while economic diversity has not improved, racial and geographic diversity has increased. Black student enrollment at elite private schools has stabilized at about 7%, while international student enrollment has risen from under 5% to around 15% since the 1950s.