The U.S. Department of Education under President Donald Trump has launched civil rights investigations into 45 universities, cracking down on alleged race-based discrimination in higher education. The move follows the Department’s February 14 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL), which reminded schools that racial preferences and stereotypes in education programs violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
At the center of the investigations is “The Ph.D. Project,” a program that claims to assist doctoral students with career networking—but reportedly excludes participants based on race. Additionally, six universities are being investigated for allegedly offering race-based scholarships, while another is accused of running a program that segregates students by race.
Restoring Fairness in Higher Education
Education Secretary Linda McMahon emphasized that the Trump administration is committed to enforcing civil rights laws equally, ensuring that students are judged by merit, not racial background.
“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” McMahon stated. “Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.”
The investigations target some of the most well-known universities in the country, including Yale, MIT, Duke, and the University of Michigan. Schools found to be in violation of Title VI could face severe penalties, including the potential loss of federal funding.
Enforcing Equal Standards
The Education Department’s actions build upon its February 14 directive, which made clear that institutions receiving federal funding must eliminate race-based preferences in admissions, hiring, scholarships, and other academic programs. This aligns with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down affirmative action policies in college admissions.
A Concern for Students in Cobb
For students in Cobb County, the investigation raises concerns about fairness in the college admissions process. Many students in the area work hard to earn spots at competitive schools like Emory University, which made the DOE’s list, and any policies that factor race into admissions or scholarship decisions could disadvantage qualified applicants.
Parents and students who have long questioned the fairness of affirmative action policies see this as a step toward a more merit-based system. The Trump administration’s push for equal treatment in education aligns with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which struck down racial preferences in college admissions.
Universities Under Investigation
The universities now under investigation for allegedly engaging in race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs include:
- Arizona State University – Main Campus
- Boise State University
- Cal Poly Humboldt
- California State University – San Bernadino
- Carnegie Mellon University
- Clemson University
- Cornell University
- Duke University
- Emory University
- George Mason University
- Georgetown University
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
- Montana State University-Bozeman
- New York University (NYU)
- Rice University
- Rutgers University
- The Ohio State University – Main Campus
- Towson University
- Tulane University
- University of Arkansas – Fayetteville
- University of California-Berkeley
- University of Chicago
- University of Cincinnati – Main Campus
- University of Colorado – Colorado Springs
- University of Delaware
- University of Kansas
- University of Kentucky
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
- University of Nebraska at Omaha
- University of New Mexico – Main Campus
- University of North Dakota – Main Campus
- University of North Texas – Denton
- University of Notre Dame
- University of NV – Las Vegas
- University of Oregon
- University of Rhode Island
- University of Utah
- University of Washington-Seattle
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Wyoming
- Vanderbilt University
- Washington State University
- Washington University in St. Louis
- Yale University
The schools under investigation for alleged impermissible race-based scholarships and race-based segregation are:
- Grand Valley State University
- Ithaca College
- New England College of Optometry
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- University of South Florida
- University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine
A Turning Point in Higher Education
The Trump administration’s move to investigate race-based policies underscores its broader push to uphold merit-based education and ensure that civil rights laws are applied equally to all students. While universities have defended diversity-focused programs as efforts to expand opportunities, critics argue that such initiatives often create new forms of discrimination that unfairly exclude qualified students.
The outcome of these investigations could reshape the future of higher education, reinforcing a system based on fairness, merit, and equal opportunity for all.
