DOJ alleges UCLA medical school discriminated against white and Asian applicants

(SeaPRwire) –   The Justice Department announced on Wednesday that the University of California, Los Angeles’s medical school unlawfully factored race into its admissions decisions as the Trump administration intensifies its review of how colleges select students.

This conclusion deepens the ongoing conflict between the federal government and UCLA, which has primarily centered on the main campus’s handling of claims regarding antisemitic harassment.

In a written statement, the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA maintained that its admissions process is “merit-based” and emphasized its commitment to following both state and federal laws. The school indicated it is currently examining the findings issued by the Justice Department.

Affirmative action in college admissions became illegal following a 2023 Supreme Court decision that prohibited such practices. While that ruling permitted institutions to consider applicants’ backgrounds in relation to broader characteristics, the Trump administration has alleged that colleges are still using personal statements and other indicators as proxies for evaluating race—a move conservatives view as discriminatory.

In March, the Justice Department initiated investigations into possible race-based discrimination in medical school admissions at Stanford, Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego. Earlier, under the same administration, undergraduate admissions at elite colleges were also scrutinized, with demands for data demonstrating compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

A year-long investigation by the Justice Department revealed that UCLA’s medical school discriminated against white and Asian American applicants by giving preference to Black and Hispanic candidates.

The department cited statistical evidence showing that admitted Black and Hispanic students had lower average grade-point averages and test scores in 2023 and 2024. For instance, among Black students admitted in 2024, the average GPA was 3.72, compared to 3.84 for Asian Americans and 3.83 for white students.

According to the department, these figures suggest the medical school relied on non-academic criteria to meet diversity objectives.

“As a result of these practices, highly qualified White, Asian, and other students were denied admission based on their race,” stated Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in a letter summarizing the findings.

The department also criticized an application form that asked applicants whether they belonged to a marginalized group and invited them to explain how that background influenced their experiences. This question appeared in applications during 2024 and 2025, according to the department.

California voters banned affirmative action in higher education admissions through a 1997 ballot initiative. In a legal brief submitted during the Supreme Court case, the UC system argued that this change caused a sharp decline in enrollment of underrepresented minority students, particularly at the system’s most selective campuses.

The brief noted that, since then, the UC system implemented numerous race-neutral policies aimed at boosting diversity across all demographics, including racial groups. Nevertheless, it acknowledged persistent challenges in increasing campus diversity.

The Trump administration’s finding paves the way for either a voluntary agreement to bring UCLA into alignment with the Justice Department’s interpretation of the law or, if no resolution is reached, potential legal action. Penalties could include the loss of federal funding.

In March, a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy mandating higher education institutions to submit data proving they do not consider race in admissions decisions.

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