Native student enrollment declines sharply across school settings

From a private university in Ithaca, New York, to public school K-12 enrollment throughout California, Native students are losing ground when it comes to representation in educational settings. 

Last week, The Cornell Daily Sun analyzed enrollment figures for its freshman class. The data revealed a striking decline of nearly 45% in the collective representation of Black, Hispanic and Indigenous enrollment since before the 2023 ban on affirmative action. 

Though the Cornell University Factbook currently only details expected enrollment for the Class of 2030, rather than actual enrolled student populations for this semester, the factbook indicates the university expected to enroll just two American Indian students this fall, accounting for just 0.1% of all first-years. 

The Daily Sun’s Christine Savino noted these figures display the lowest level of Black, Hispanic and Indigenous student enrollment at Cornell since the Supreme Court ended race-conscious college admissions practices.

Likewise, EdSource reporters found the number of Native American students enrolled in California public schools in 2025-26 is down 30.5% from 2015 school year levels. Data also shows Native American students trailing other racial and ethnic groups in test scores and graduation rates, while chronic absenteeism is highest for these students.

The reporters note Native American students made up less than 0.5% of the public school student population in California in 2025. However, they point out the California Department of Education may undercount Native American students by as much as 90% because of the way students who identify as both Native American and Hispanic, or those who are multiracial Native American, are classified by the state.