The U.S. Department of Justice has concluded that both the University of California, Davis School of Medicine and the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA violated federal civil‑rights law by using race‑based criteria in their admissions processes. The findings follow separate federal investigations that reviewed internal documents, admissions data, and communications from both institutions.
According to the DOJ, UC Davis School of Medicine adopted admissions practices designed to circumvent the Supreme Court’s 2023 Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard ruling, which banned race‑conscious admissions. Investigators found that UC Davis used socioeconomic “proxies” for race and implemented a “Davis Scale” that elevated applicants based on perceived disadvantages while reducing the weight of GPA and MCAT scores. Federal reviewers reported that from 2023 to 2025, Black and Hispanic applicants were admitted at rates up to six times higher than white and Asian applicants, despite having lower average academic metrics. UC Davis disputed the findings, stating its process is rigorous, individualized, and compliant with antidiscrimination law.
In a separate investigation, the DOJ determined that UCLA’s medical school intentionally selected applicants based on race. Federal officials reported that UCLA leadership prioritized racial demographics over academic qualifications and continued to use race in admissions even after the Supreme Court’s ruling. The DOJ found that admitted Black and Hispanic applicants had consistently lower academic qualifications than white and Asian applicants. UCLA has not publicly disputed the DOJ’s findings in the same manner as UC Davis.
The DOJ has also opened 15 additional investigations into medical schools nationwide for potential violations of federal civil‑rights law. Officials stated that medical schools receiving federal funding must comply with Title VI and cannot use race in admissions under any circumstances. Settlement negotiations are expected, and the DOJ has indicated it will sue institutions that do not come into compliance.
Sources
- U.S. Department of Justice
- Yahoo News
- CBS News Sacramento