Donald Trump’s administration has launched investigations into three medical schools in the United States for possible racial bias in admissions. Stanford University, Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego have until April 24, 2026, to hand over the relevant data.
The schools received letters asking them to provide data from the past seven years. A letter sent to Ohio State said, “At this time, our investigation will focus on possible race discrimination in medical school admissions at Ohio State University College of Medicine.”
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an investigation into “possible racial discrimination” with admissions to The Ohio State University College of Medicine, according to a letter sent to the school. https://t.co/HdZk3z6BV4
— WSYX ABC 6 (@wsyx6) March 26, 2026
The Ohio State University has responded, saying that it would be “fully compliant with all state and federal regulations and legal rulings regarding admissions.”
UC San Diego also responded to the letter, saying, “UC San Diego was notified yesterday that the Department of Justice is commencing an investigation, and we are reviewing the notice. UC San Diego is committed to fair processes in all of our programs and activities, including admissions, consistent with federal and state anti-discrimination laws.”
Stanford University said, “We are reviewing the letter and will respond appropriately. Stanford School of Medicine prohibits unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.”
Currently, Donald Trump’s administration has had ongoing disputes with universities. There have been discussions of federal budget cuts, which have been leveraged to obtain admissions data from these universities. Currently, universities from at least 17 Democrat-led states are fighting Trump through legal channels to avoid sharing admissions data with federal agencies.
Trump’s administration has asked for a range of data to be released. These include the race of applicants, standardized test scores, relationships to donors, ZIP codes and other educational information. Further, it has also demanded documents relating to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in admissions, along with information about candidates gathered during the admissions process and communications about race and donor status.
Donald Trump has taken a hard stance toward universities since he took office. From slashing the Department of Education to warning that universities are being taken over by anti-American elements, Trump has pursued multiple approaches.
The U.S. Department of Justice has begun an investigation into “possible racial discrimination” with admissions to The Ohio State University College of Medicine, according to a letter sent to the school. https://t.co/HdZk3z6BV4
— WSYX ABC 6 (@wsyx6) March 26, 2026
However, as The Atlantic reported a few weeks ago, his assault on higher education might be losing momentum in more recent days. Despite cancelling grants and restructuring student debt in a manner where they end up paying more, Donald Trump’s policies on education have left a lot of the country wanting.
