Yale medical school under federal fire over alleged race-based admissions

The US Justice Department has accused Yale University of illegally considering race in admissions to its medical school, escalating the Trump administration’s crackdown on affirmative action practices in higher education.

In a letter sent Thursday to Yale’s legal counsel, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said a federal investigation found that Black and Hispanic applicants had significantly higher chances of admission than white and Asian applicants with similar academic credentials.

According to the department, the findings were based on applicant data from incoming medical school classes between 2023 and 2025.

“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform,” Dhillon said in a statement quoted by the Associated Press (AP).

The Justice Department alleged that Yale School of Medicine violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race in federally funded institutions. The department said it is seeking a voluntary resolution agreement with the university but retains the authority to pursue litigation if compliance is not achieved.

Yale defends admissions process

Yale, however, defended its admissions process.

In a statement cited by AP, the university said its School of Medicine “is confident in the rigorous admissions process we follow,” adding that admitted students demonstrate “exceptional academic achievement and personal commitment.”

The case marks the second time this month that the Justice Department has moved against a major medical school over admissions practices. Last week, federal authorities notified the University of California, Los Angeles that its medical school had also illegally considered race in admissions decisions.

Trump administration’s wider push on affirmative action

The latest action comes amid broader efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to restrict the use of race in higher education admissions. Since returning to office in 2025, the administration has repeatedly argued that race-conscious admissions policies amount to unlawful discrimination.

The Justice Department’s letter also referenced the 2023 US Supreme Court ruling in the Students for Fair Admissions cases involving Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, which effectively ended affirmative action in college admissions.

Federal officials argued that Yale’s admissions outcomes after the ruling showed little change, which they described as evidence of continued racial preference in admissions decisions.

DOJ cites GPA, MCAT data

According to the DOJ letter, Black students admitted to Yale School of Medicine’s most recent class had a median GPA of 3.88 and median MCAT scores in the 95th percentile. Asian students had a median GPA of 3.98, while white students had a median GPA of 3.97. Both Asian and white students recorded median MCAT scores in the 100th percentile.

“Based on our preliminary review of the applicant-level data, Yale’s use of race resulted in a Black applicant being as much as 29 times higher odds of getting an interview for admission than an equally strong Asian applicant with similar academic credentials,” the letter stated, according to AP.

The department also questioned Yale’s use of holistic admissions processes, arguing that such frameworks were being used to continue race-conscious selection after the Supreme Court ruling.

Lawsuits and growing federal scrutiny

The letter further cited an amicus brief filed by Yale in the Students for Fair Admissions case, in which the university had argued that it would struggle to maintain diversity without explicitly considering race in admissions. Federal officials said Yale’s ability to maintain similar diversity levels after the ruling raised concerns about whether the institution had complied with the court’s decision.

In March, a coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general filed a lawsuit challenging a Trump administration policy requiring colleges and universities to provide data demonstrating that race is not being considered in admissions decisions.

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