DOJ Accuses UC San Diego School of Medicine of Racial Discrimination in Admissions

The Department of Justice has accused the UC San Diego School of Medicine of racial discrimination in its admissions process, marking a continuation of the Trump administration’s investigations into race-conscious policies at higher education institutions.

In a letter sent to the university this week, the DOJ alleges the school intentionally manipulated applicant data, aiming to discriminate "in favor of so-called underrepresented minorities, such as blacks and Hispanics."

These findings stem from a Justice Department investigation launched in March, which examined UC San Diego and other schools to ascertain their compliance with a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court decision prohibiting race-conscious admissions at colleges and universities.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet K. Dhillon stated: "Rather than rely on MCAT scores or GPA, San Diego Med's shadow application process unlawfully judged applicants for admission based on their race." Dhillon added, "San Diego Med's blatant efforts to prioritize race are illegal, and we will end these practices."

UC San Diego said it was reviewing the DOJ's letter, but said "All applicants to the school's Doctor of Medicine program must meet strict academic thresholds, a requirement that is and was applied uniformly to all applicants."

In its letter, the DOJ alleges the school's admissions staff used "hardship" questions, in which applicants describe how they overcame certain disadvantages, to determine an applicant's race and ensure minorities receive interviews. The DOJ said an examination of test scores among different racial groups "indicated that a black or Hispanic student had a substantially higher likelihood of being admitted than a white or Asian student with the same academic credentials."

The Justice Department said it is seeking "to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement with the university to ensure that its admissions practices are brought into compliance."

The DOJ also opened an investigation into whether Harvard University is allowing Chinese donors to fund scholarships that exclude American students this week, marking the latest federal probe targeting the Ivy League institution under the Trump administration.

DOJ officials announced the review Monday, saying Harvard’s disclosures on foreign funding had “raised concerns” about potential discrimination against U.S. students. The department did not identify the scholarship programs under scrutiny and stressed that it “has not reached any conclusions.”