Enrollment of Black Freshmen at University of Kentucky Drops 40 Percent
LEXINGTON, Ky.
Enrollment of Black freshmen at the University of Kentucky fell 40 percent this fall, a drop university officials blamed in part on tougher admissions standards. UK has 151 incoming Black freshmen, or 4 percent, the university announced. The school registered 256 Black freshmen last fall, a 20 percent increase from the year before.
Scott Smith, UK’s interim provost called the decrease in Black freshmen a “serious challenge.”
Smith said the university will work to provide additional tutoring, more scholarships and a review of recruitment to improve the retention and graduation rates of Black students.
The drop can be attributed in part to UK’s slight increase in the minimum score on the ACT entrance exam, officials said.
As UK seeks increased admissions selectivity, “you don’t want to admit students when you know they come in with a low likelihood of graduating,” Smith said.
