DOJ: Leading Medical School Discriminated Against Asian, White Applicants Despite SCOTUS Ruling

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced Thursday that it has completed a year-long investigation into the admissions policies and practices at Yale School of Medicine. The department determined that the school discriminated on the basis of race in its admissions process, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The investigation examined whether Yale’s procedures complied with federal law following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President & Fellows of Harvard College, which prohibited the consideration of race as a factor in college admissions decisions. Title VI bars discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs that receive federal financial assistance.

Yale’s School of Medicine receives such assistance, including specific grants referenced in the findings totaling $842,078.

According to the department’s review of documents provided by Yale, the school’s internal policies, presentations, email correspondence, and guidance materials demonstrated an intent to consider race in admissions selections. These materials included discussions of diversity-related goals, references to increasing representation of certain racial and ethnic groups, and explorations of approaches described as “race-neutral” that were drawn from institutions in states with prior restrictions on race-based admissions.

The department noted that some instructions to admissions personnel regarding race and ethnicity were given verbally and not documented in writing. Yale also distributed materials to its admissions committee that referenced holistic review models incorporating race and national origin as factors.

As part of the investigation, DOJ investigators analyzed applicant-level admissions data for the incoming classes of 2023, 2024, and 2025. The data showed consistent differences in median academic qualifications among admitted students across racial groups.

For the 2023 class, the median MCAT score for black applicants was 517 (94th percentile among test-takers), compared with 523 (99th percentile) for both Asian and white applicants. In addition, the median GPA for black applicants was 3.88, versus 3.97 for Asian applicants and 3.96 for white applicants. Hispanic applicants had a median MCAT of 518 (95th percentile) and GPA of 3.92.

Patterns were similar for the 2024 incoming class. Black applicants had a median MCAT of 517 (94th percentile) and GPA of 3.92, while Asian applicants had 524 (100th percentile) and 3.99, and White applicants had 523 (99th percentile) and 3.97. For the 2025 class, black applicants’ median MCAT was 518 (95th percentile) and Hispanic applicants’ was 517 (94th percentile), compared with 524 (100th percentile) for both Asian and white applicants.

The department stated that these disparities in MCAT scores and GPAs, along with higher odds of interview invitations for black and hispanic applicants relative to White and Asian applicants with comparable credentials, supported the finding of intentional discrimination.

“Yale has continued its race-based admissions program despite the Supreme Court and the public’s clear mandate for reform. This Department will continue to shed light on these illegal practices, and demand that institutions of higher education comply with federal law,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division said in a press release.

The department noted that medical schools receive substantial federal funding to train physicians and that considerations of quality and excellence in medical education are important to public safety. It indicated that it is continuing to review admissions practices at medical schools to ensure compliance with federal nondiscrimination requirements.

The findings letter notified Yale of the results and offered the opportunity to enter into a voluntary resolution agreement to address the identified issues and achieve compliance. If voluntary measures do not succeed, the department may pursue further enforcement actions under Title VI regulations.

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