Class diversity has taken a front seat in news items for the incoming freshman class. We brought you answers about the Class of 2016 previously, but the latest press release sheds more light on what the incoming “banner class” actually consists of.
Of the 4,895 applicants the university accepted for the Class of 2016, a whopping 2,082 have committed to attending come September. The release declared that the incoming freshman class, “is the most diverse and academically gifted in the school’s 161-year history.” However, no academic information was offered.
Instead, the press release explained why previous news suggested the Class of 2016 would be the “most diverse class in 25 years,” as the class will contain 7 percent international, 9 percent Hispanic and 8 percent African-American students. This is an increase compared to statistics for the Class of 2014, which report 5.8 percent, 8.2 percent and 6.9 percent for international, Hispanic and African-American students, respectively. Overall, the Class of 2016 will have a record percentage of “students of color” with 44 percent.
The proportion of admitted students who ultimately chose Northwestern also broke record: With 43 percent of admitted students, the “yield” in admissions parlance rose five percentage points for the second time.
In the trend of falling acceptance rates and growing application numbers, the university accepted 15 percent of the 32,065 applications submitted, setting a record for applications received for the ninth year in a row.