The U.S. Department of Justice has found that the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine discriminated based on race in its admissions process for the 2023 to 2025 incoming classes.
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has determined that the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine engaged in racial discrimination during its admissions process for the incoming classes of 2023 through 2025. This finding was announced on September 22, 2023, by the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
According to the DOJ, UCSF was significantly more likely to admit Hispanic and Black applicants compared to their white counterparts with similar academic credentials. Specifically, the analysis revealed that Hispanic applicants were 4.6 times more likely to be admitted, while Black applicants were 12.6 times more likely to gain acceptance than comparable white applicants who had the same Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) scores, undergraduate GPAs, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
This scrutiny comes in the wake of the Trump administration’s ongoing examination of race-conscious admissions policies at federally funded universities. The DOJ’s findings follow the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decisions in the cases of Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, which questioned the legality of race-based admissions practices.
The DOJ’s investigation indicated that race played a significant role at various stages of UCSF’s admissions process, including the selection of candidates for interviews and final admission decisions. The department noted that Black and Hispanic applicants were invited to interviews at much higher rates than white and Asian applicants, despite having lower average MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs.
For instance, in the analysis of the 2023 to 2025 incoming classes, the DOJ found that the average MCAT scores for admitted students were 519 for white students and 518 for Asian students, while Black students averaged 514 and Hispanic students averaged 513. In terms of undergraduate GPAs, white students had an average of 3.95, Asian students 3.93, Black students 3.86, and Hispanic students 3.88. The DOJ emphasized that these disparities persisted even after accounting for academic and socioeconomic factors.
“Unfortunately, at UCSF Medical School, MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs have taken a backseat to race,” stated Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division.
The DOJ’s findings also highlighted stark differences in admission rates among racial groups over the three-year period. For the 2023 incoming class, admission rates were reported at 1.50% for white applicants, 2.55% for Asian applicants, 6.69% for Hispanic applicants, and 11.43% for Black applicants. In 2024, these rates were 1.65% for white, 2.44% for Asian, 5.86% for Hispanic, and 7.65% for Black applicants. For 2025, the rates were 1.70% for white, 1.98% for Asian, 4.83% for Hispanic, and 6.96% for Black applicants. The DOJ concluded that the average admitted Black and Hispanic students academically underperformed compared to the average rejected white and Asian students during the examined period.
In response to the DOJ’s findings, UCSF has expressed disagreement with the conclusions. A spokesperson for the university stated that UCSF would continue to engage with the DOJ and emphasized that academic performance is a central component of its admissions process. The university maintains that it considers grades, prior coursework, and MCAT scores alongside clinical experience, research, service, leadership, and other relevant experiences.
The DOJ’s analysis has garnered attention, particularly because it focused on a narrower set of criteria—MCAT scores, undergraduate GPA, and socioeconomic characteristics—while UCSF argues that its admissions process evaluates a broader range of qualifications.
The DOJ is seeking a voluntary resolution with UCSF to align its admissions practices with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits racial discrimination by institutions receiving federal financial assistance. If a settlement cannot be reached, the DOJ has indicated that it may pursue legal action against the university.
This case is part of a larger investigation by the DOJ into admissions practices at medical schools and other higher education institutions. In 2026, the department has announced similar findings or legal actions involving institutions such as Yale School of Medicine, UCLA’s medical school, and UC Berkeley School of Law. The UCSF case represents a significant development in the ongoing legal debate surrounding the consideration of race and ethnicity in higher education admissions, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s recent rulings.
According to The American Bazaar, the implications of the DOJ’s findings could have far-reaching effects on admissions policies across the country.