Education Department Investigates 5 Medical Schools for Alleged Racial Bias in Admissions

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights opened probes Tuesday into five medical schools nationwide over alleged racial discrimination in admissions, part of a federal effort to enforce civil rights law and restore selection based on individual achievement.

The schools being investigated are Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, St. Louis University School of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, and William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Investigators will look into whether the institutions violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which blocks discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs receiving federal funds.

The universities did not immediately return a request for comment.

The investigation is a joint effort with the Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights and the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, with officials describing the effort as advancing the administration’s stated goal of eliminating race-based preferences in medical education.

“Your race should not decide whether or not you can study medicine, yet many schools seem to be more focused on meeting racial quotas than selecting individuals who have earned entrance based on merit,” Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Kimberly Richey said in a statement.

“Schools that engage in such admissions policies are not only violating the law, but they are also undermining the fundamental principles of fairness and meritocracy that define our nation,” she said.

“The Trump Administration is holding schools to account for their reported discriminatory behavior and will ensure a future where students are once again rewarded for their hard work and achievement, not prejudged by the color of their skin.”

Executive Orders

President Donald Trump signed an executive order the day after his second inauguration in early 2025, ordering the restoration of merit-based opportunity and the end of illegal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) preferences in higher education. 

A second order in August 2025 required greater transparency in admissions data.

Department records show that more than 300 colleges and universities have since shut down DEI offices, removed diversity statements from hiring, or altered related policies. No fewer than 175 institutions restructured or eliminated DEI centers. Thirty-one schools agreed to end partnerships with a program the department said limited eligibility by race in violation of Title VI.

In June, the Justice Department announced 15 additional investigations into potential race discrimination in medical school admissions.

A day before the Education Department’s announcement on Tuesday, the Justice Department concluded that the University of California San Diego School of Medicine had used race as a deciding factor in admissions as far back as 2022. 

The Justice Department found that white and Asian applicants were more likely to be denied than black and Hispanic applicants, contrary to Title VI and the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that prohibited race-conscious admissions.

Admission rates for black applicants were more than double those of white applicants for the past three years. In the incoming class of 2023, 2.45 percent of white applicants were admitted, compared with 6.18 percent of black applicants. For the 2024 class, the figures were 2.1 percent and 5.25 percent. For 2025, they stood at 1.96 percent and 5.14 percent.

The Justice Department stated that in each of those years, the average GPA and MCAT scores for black admitted applicants were consistently significantly lower than those of the white and Asian admitted applicants they competed against.

“Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med’s shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon said of the UC San Diego findings. “San Diego Med’s blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices.”

UC San Diego told The Epoch Times it is reviewing the findings and is committed to full compliance with federal law, noting that all applicants must meet strict academic thresholds applied uniformly.

Federal officials have not publicly detailed the specific evidence prompting the five new Education Department investigations. The schools have not issued formal responses beyond standard statements of cooperation. East Carolina University has said it complies with the 2023 Supreme Court ruling, related executive orders, and applicable federal and state guidance. Dartmouth College has said it will respond to the information request and remains confident in its practices.

Title VI and its regulations apply to any educational program receiving federal financial assistance.