RESEARCH BRIEFINGS29 April 2026Two comprehensive data sets concerning students who graduated from 141 business schools over 29 years and 200 law schools over 21 years show that higher racial diversity is associated with higher median salary at graduation. Policies that promote racial diversity seem likely to enhance education and benefit society overall.ByDebanjan Mitra0,Peter N. Golder1 &Mariya Topchy2Debanjan MitraDebanjan Mitra is at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, USA.View author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarPeter N. GolderPeter N. Golder is at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.View author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarMariya TopchyMariya Topchy is at Travelers Insurance, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.View author publicationsSearch author on: PubMed Google ScholarSource research: Mitra, D., Golder, P. N. & Topchy, M. Racial diversity in higher education is associated with higher student salaries. Nature https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10425-7 (2026).Access optionsAccess Nature and 54 other Nature Portfolio journalsGet Nature+, our best-value online-access subscription27,99 € / 30 dayscancel any timeLearn moreSubscribe to this journalReceive 51 print issues and online access199,00 € per yearonly 3,90 € per issueLearn moreRent or buy this articlePrices vary by article typefrom$1.95to$39.95Learn morePrices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkoutdoi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-01273-6Funding statement D.M. acknowledges support from a University of Connecticut’s Office of the Vice President for Research (OVPR) Research Excellence Program Grant and an endowed chair established by Voya Financial.ReferencesStudents for Fair Admissions, Inc v. President and Fellows of Harvard College 600 US 181 (2023). The US Supreme Court’s decision highlights the lack of compelling evidence regarding the educational benefits of racial diversity as one of the main reasons for overturning the affirmative-action policies.Saul, S. At many top law schools, Black student enrollment continues to drop. The New York Times (16 December 2025). This news article reports that, after the affirmative-action ban, there has been a substantial drop in the number of Black students at 14 out of 18 leading law schools.Arcidiacono, P. & Vigdor, J. L. Econ. Inq. 48, 3 537–557 (2010). This article examines survey data on individual respondents’ salaries and cohort racial diversity.Article Google Scholar Boisjoly, J., Duncan, G. J., Kremer, M., Levy, D. M. & Eccles, J. Am. Econ. Rev. 96, 1890–1905 (2006). This paper finds that white university students who were randomly assigned to live with Black roommates were more likely to endorse affirmative action and to interact with people from minority ethnic groups than were white students who had white roommates.Article Google Scholar Download referencesCompeting InterestsThe authors declare no competing interests. Read the paper: Racial diversity in higher education is associated with higher student salaries Socio-economic status explains one-third of the racial disparity in top academic achievement Pay gap between nationals and migrants mainly due to unequal access to high-paying jobs The social connections that shape economic prospectsSubjectsPolicyEducationEconomicsSociologyLatest on:PolicyEducationEconomicsJobs Assistant Professor, Stanford DermatologyThe Department of Dermatology at Stanford University is seeking an Assistant Professor...Stanford, California (US)Stanford DermatologyPostdoc in Computational BiologyPostdoc in Computational Biology | Human Technopole, Milan Build the science that shapes the future of human health. Application closing date: 20.0...Milan (IT)Human TechnopolePostdoctoral Associate: Unsupervised Learning for DNA/RNA Molecular DynamicsInterpretable DNA/RNA ensemble quantification with molecular dynamics, machine learning, clustering, and measurement analysis.Gaithersburg, MarylandBiophysical and Biomedical Measurement Group, National Institute of Standards and TechnologyAssociate or Senior Editor, Communications AI & ComputingJob Title: Associate or Senior Editor, Communications AI & Computing Locations: Shanghai, Beijing, Pune or New Delhi (hybrid) Application deadline:...Shanghai, Beijing, Pune or New Delhi (hybrid)Springer Nature Ltd