The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that it has found evidence of racially biased admissions practices at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, alleging the school gave preferential treatment to Black and Hispanic applicants.
Federal investigators concluded that the medical school manipulated applicant data in order to increase racial diversity among incoming students, according to DOJ findings.
“San Diego Med’s documents show that admissions staff used purportedly ‘race-neutral’ subjective criteria to deliberately increase admission of so-called ‘underrepresented minorities in medicine’, which includes Black and Hispanic applicants,” the Justice Department stated.
The DOJ indicated it is pursuing a voluntary resolution agreement with the institution, but warned that legal action would follow if those negotiations break down. “If those efforts fail, the Department will file suit,” the agency said.
UC San Diego responded by saying it was reviewing the DOJ’s communication and remained committed to complying with federal law. The school also defended its standards, saying applicants “must meet strict academic thresholds, a requirement that is and was applied uniformly to all applicants.”
The action is part of a broader push by the Trump administration against diversity policies at colleges and universities. President Donald Trump has characterized diversity goals as anti-merit and discriminatory toward groups such as white people and men, and has signed executive orders aimed at dismantling such policies across both government and the private sector.
Civil rights advocates counter that diversity initiatives help correct longstanding inequalities faced by marginalized communities, including women, the LGBT community, and ethnic minorities.
In 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, effectively ending affirmative action in college admissions nationwide.
This latest action is not an isolated case. Earlier this year, the DOJ made similar allegations against the medical schools at the University of California, Los Angeles and Yale University, both of which defended their admissions processes as merit-based and rigorous. In June, the DOJ announced it had opened civil rights investigations into 15 medical schools across the country.
The Trump administration has also targeted universities over issues including pro-Palestinian protests related to Israel’s war in Gaza, transgender policies, and climate programs, with threats of federal funding suspensions. Advocates argue these efforts undermine free speech, academic freedom, and due process.
