Researchers surveyed 2.5 million students of elite colleges and confirmed most Ivy Leaguers have this in common

College attendance in the US has increased significantly over the last century, but a recent study found that most students at elite universities still come from wealthy families. Researchers analyzed data from 2.5 million students at 65 elite colleges over the past hundred years and found that the percentage of students from low-income families has not changed significantly. In the 1920s, 8% of college students were from the bottom 20% of the income distribution, and a hundred years later, only 13% of male and 20% of female students were from the same income bracket. At Harvard and Yale, only 5% of students came from the bottom 20% of the income distribution, a pattern that has held true for other Ivy League universities and elite institutions. In contrast, public universities like the University of California, Berkeley, have seen an increase in low-income students. The study also found that upper-income student enrollment at elite colleges decreased after World War II but surged again since the 1980s. As a result, middle-income student enrollment has decreased, while racial and geographic diversity have increased. Black student enrollment has increased to about 7% of the student body population, and international student enrollment has risen to about 15% in private colleges. However, the researchers concluded that policy changes like the G.I. Bill and standardized tests have had little success in increasing representation of lower- and middle-income students at elite colleges. Overall, the study highlights the persistent lack of economic diversity at elite universities in the US.