The US Department of Justice has determined that the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) illegally considered race in its admissions process, in violation of a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action in college admissions.
The finding, announced on Wednesday, escalates the Trump administration's scrutiny of UCLA, which has already been under investigation for its response to antisemitic harassment on the main campus. The Justice Department's civil rights division cited data showing that admitted Black and Hispanic students had lower average GPAs and test scores in 2023 and 2024 compared to white and Asian American students, indicating that race was used as a factor to achieve diversity goals.
Harmeet Dhillon, head of the civil rights division, stated in a letter that 'highly qualified White, Asian, and other students were denied admission on the basis of their race.' The department also objected to an application question that asked students to volunteer whether they belong to a marginalized group and to discuss its impact, which was included in the 2024 and 2025 application cycles.
UCLA's medical school defended its admissions process, saying it is 'based on merit' and complies with state and federal laws. The university is reviewing the Justice Department's findings. The Trump administration has previously opened similar investigations into medical school admissions at Stanford University, Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego.
The ruling sets the stage for a voluntary resolution or potential legal action, which could include loss of federal funding. California voters ended affirmative action in public college admissions in 1997, and the University of California system has since implemented race-neutral measures to increase diversity, but has struggled to achieve its goals.
