Federal officials announced Thursday that their efforts to eliminate diversity initiatives in higher education have resulted in 31 universities terminating relationships with The PhD Project, an organization dedicated to helping racial minorities obtain doctoral degrees.
This nonprofit remained relatively obscure until conservative activists highlighted it last year, prompting the U.S. Department of Education to launch a formal inquiry. Republican leaders argue that university diversity initiatives frequently discriminate against white and Asian American students.
Since the investigation began in March 2025, three dozen institutions have agreed to sever partnerships with the organization, according to the department’s Office for Civil Rights announcement Thursday. Officials report ongoing discussions with an additional 14 educational institutions.
Federal authorities stated that The PhD Project “unlawfully limits eligibility based on the race of participants” and accused partnering institutions of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded educational programs.
“This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.
Several institutions quickly terminated their relationships with The PhD Project once the investigation launched, seeking to avoid complications with the current administration. The government had previously warned schools they risked losing federal funding over “race-based preferences.”
The PhD Project represents one of numerous nonprofit organizations working to expand higher education access for underrepresented communities.
“The PhD Project was founded with the goal of providing more role models in the front of business classrooms and this remains our goal today,” the organization said in a statement Thursday. According to their website, the group has “helped more than 1,500 members earn their doctoral degree.”
The 31 institutions identified by federal officials include prominent public research universities like Arizona State, Ohio State and the University of Michigan, alongside elite private institutions such as Yale, Duke and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
MIT, similar to other schools named in the investigation, had paid The PhD Project “a nominal fee” to participate in university fairs or conferences, enabling MIT representatives to recruit prospective students, according to spokesperson Kimberly Allen.
MIT notified federal authorities in April 2025 that it had ceased participating in such events and received notification months later that the Office for Civil Rights had determined a Title VI violation. The institution signed a “resolution agreement” with the department approximately one week ago to settle the issue “but explicitly did not admit any liability, wrongdoing or violation of any law or regulation,” Allen explained.
The University of North Dakota reported that it immediately terminated its membership with The PhD Project two weeks following last year’s investigation announcement.
“The University became a member of the PhD Project to have access to the PhD Project’s member directory and applicant database, to be able to recruit a larger pool of qualified applicants for faculty positions,” spokesperson David Dodds explained in a statement.
The University of Utah participated in annual conferences organized by the nonprofit during the 2024-25 academic year and two preceding years. The institution ended its association with the project in October following a settlement with the department, according to university spokesperson Rebecca Walsh.
Among 170 PhD students accepted into Utah’s business school during the past 14 years, only two came through The PhD Project connection, Walsh noted.
The Education Department reported that all 31 universities have committed to examining partnerships with other organizations “to identify any that violate Title VI by restricting participation based on race.”
The current administration has focused on eliminating various practices it categorizes as diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
