Photo: Gretchen Ertl/The Hechinger Report

Universities around the country will be watching carefully as the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments in two college admissions cases. Many legal pundits predict that affirmative action will be abolished when the court issues its decision next spring. 

Colleges that still want to build a diverse student body that reflects the country’s demographics are looking for alternatives. Two states could provide valuable information.

Experts always warn against predicting the outcome of U.S. Supreme Court decisions on the basis of the questions the justices ask during hearings.

But in arguments before the Supreme Court yesterday, six justices with a history of opposing affirmative action—and new justices expected to oppose affirmative action—asked questions and offered comments that reflected skepticism about the practice.

Over the course of 2022, college enrollment declined for a second consecutive year since the beginning of the pandemic, although the decline wasn’t nearly as sharp as in 2021.

However, at Rice University in Houston, Texas, applications are still flowing in at an incredible rate. In this interview, the university's president talks about college affordability, enrollment challenges, and the power of partnerships to improve diversity.