Five US Medical Schools Face Federal Investigation Over Alleged Admissions Bias

The United States Department of Education has launched civil rights investigations into five medical schools over allegations that their admissions processes may unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, marking the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education.

According to the Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the investigations will determine whether the schools violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color or national origin by institutions receiving federal financial assistance. Officials said the reviews are intended to establish whether race played an impermissible role in admissions decisions.

The five institutions named in the investigations are the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

The move follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2023 ruling that significantly restricted the use of race-conscious admissions in higher education. Since returning to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has intensified scrutiny of universities, arguing that some diversity programs unfairly disadvantage white and Asian applicants and violate federal civil rights laws.

Several of the institutions under investigation have rejected allegations of wrongdoing, insisting that their admissions processes comply fully with federal law and are based on merit, academic achievement and holistic applicant review. University officials have also pledged to cooperate with federal investigators as the inquiries proceed.

The Education Department’s action comes alongside a broader campaign by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has already opened investigations into at least 15 medical schools across the country over similar concerns. Recent probes have also targeted institutions including Yale University and the University of California’s medical schools, reflecting a wider federal effort to reshape admissions policies in American higher education.

Supporters of the administration argue that admissions decisions should be entirely race-neutral and that federal enforcement is necessary to ensure equal treatment for all applicants. Civil rights advocates and many academic leaders, however, contend that diversity initiatives help address longstanding inequities in medical education and produce a physician workforce better equipped to serve diverse communities. They warn that aggressive federal intervention could undermine academic freedom and efforts to improve representation in the medical profession.

The investigations remain in their preliminary stages, and no findings of wrongdoing have been announced. If violations are established, the affected institutions could face corrective actions, compliance agreements or, in extreme cases, the potential loss of federal funding.