Harvard University has accepted a record number of Black and Latino students for the upcoming fall semester, bringing the institution closer and closer to reflecting the nation’s diversity.

Out of the 2,158 students that were admitted, 11.8 percent are African-American and 12.1 percent are Latino. Recent census figures show that African-Americans make up 12.6 percent of the population and Latinos make up 16.3 percent.

In the past, President Obama’s alma mater has done a good job outpacing some fellow Ivy Leaguers in their percentage of Black students. In 2009, 10.8 percent of Harvard’s freshman class was Black, compared with 8.2 percent at Princeton and 7 percent at Yale. Overall, Black students were 14 percent of the college population in 2008.

Harvard’s success is due, at least in part, to its minority recruiting efforts. Officials reach out to successful minority high school students across the nation. The Undergraduate Minority Recruitment Program is open throughout the school year, organizing campus tours, overnight visits and info sessions.

(Photo: Darren McCollester/Getty Images)