Justice Dept alleges Yale bias against white, Asian applicants

The US Justice Department on Thursday accused Yale medical school of discriminating against white and Asian applicants following a year-long probe into diversity practices at the elite university.

It is the latest chapter in President Donald Trump's campaign against US colleges, which he accuses of promoting "woke" anti-conservative ideologies and of pushing unfair diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) policies.

"Yale's documents show that its leadership intentionally selected applicants based on their race," the Justice Department said in a statement.

With the move, the agency said it was seeking a voluntary agreement with Yale to bring the university's admissions practices into compliance with federal law.

It specifically alleged that, based on admissions data, "Black and Hispanic students have a much higher chance of admission to Yale than White or Asian students with the same test scores."

Yale School of Medicine responded to the allegation by saying it was "confident in the rigorous admissions process."

Admitted students "demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and personal commitment" and "graduates go on to become leaders in clinical care, research, and public service. We will carefully review the Department of Justice’s letter."

The Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that affirmative action by universities on the basis of race was unlawful but said that they could use statements about the racial experiences of candidates in admissions decisions.

The Justice Department cited that ruling in its findings Thursday, alleging that Yale had failed to comply.

Unfair treatment

Last week, the Trump administration issued a similar finding against the medical school at the University of California, Los Angeles, alleging that it had unfairly favored Black and Hispanic applicants with lower qualifications. 

As part of his wider push to bring higher education to heel, Trump has wielded federal funds as a negotiating tool for universities that he says are too liberal, insisting that they submit to curriculum, enrollment and other changes.

The Republican's administration has also decreased or placed holds on spending for university research as part of wider budget cuts since taking office in January 2025.