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Why Trump admin is investigating three of America's top medical schools - Explained
The Trump administration is investigating top medical schools to check possible discrimination in admissions.
The Trump administration has launched civil rights investigations into the admissions policies of three major medical schools, Stanford University, Ohio State University and the University of California in San Diego, The New York Times reported.
What happened?
According to The New York Times, which reviewed the documents and spoke to two officials familiar with the matter, the Justice Department sent letters on Wednesday to all three universities to inform them about the investigations. The schools have been asked to submit detailed data by April 24 or they could risk losing important federal funding.
The letters were signed by Harmeet K Dhillon, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for civil rights. She also shared a photo on social media while signing one of the letters and wrote that, "Launching a series of civil rights investigations. Another day in paradise!"
"At this time, our investigation will focus on possible race discrimination in medical school admissions," Dhillon wrote in each of the letters.
What Information is the government demanding?
The Justice Department has asked each university to hand over the following by April 24:
- Applicant data from each of the past seven years
- Test scores and home ZIP codes of applicants
- Any familial ties to alumni or university donors
- Internal messages about diversity, equity and inclusion
- Correspondence between school officials and pharmaceutical companies about admissions policies
Why is this happening?
The investigations are mainly focused on possible discrimination against white applicants. The Supreme Court ended race-based admissions in 2023, but many universities believe they can still consider race in indirect ways, like through essays or interviews. The Trump administration does not agree and is taking a stricter approach, supported by executive orders and guidance from Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Until now, the government had mostly focused on issues like antisemitism, transgender athlete policies, and general admissions practices at universities such as Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and UCLA. By targeting medical schools all at once, the administration is expanding its reach and focusing directly on scientific institutions.
There is also a larger political angle. President Trump believes many universities are against his conservative views. Because of this, these investigations are seen as part of a broader effort to change the political and racial balance in higher education.
All three schools are major recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In 2025, Stanford received $575 million, UC San Diego got $427 million, and Ohio State received $210 million. This gives the government strong financial power over these universities.
