Justice Department Finds UCLA Medical School Discriminated Based on Race

The U.S. Department of Justice determined on May 6, 2026, that the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, discriminated on the basis of race when selecting students for its doctor of medicine program.

The Civil Rights Division reviewed the school’s full admissions process over twelve months. That process controls entry to a medical degree program that trains physicians who later practice in California hospitals, clinics, and research centers. The finding covers every application cycle that used the prior criteria.

The school previously treated race as one factor in its holistic review of candidates. The determination establishes that this practice violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which bars race discrimination in any program that receives federal financial assistance. The school must now eliminate race from scoring rubrics, interviewer guidance, and final selection decisions.

UCLA will receive a formal letter of findings that requires submission of a compliance plan within a set period. The plan must describe revised application materials, training for admissions staff, and internal monitoring systems. The Justice Department will review and approve the plan before implementation begins.

If the university does not reach an approved agreement, the department can refer the case to the Department of Education for possible termination of federal grants and loans or file suit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

The finding affects all future applicants to the medical school and signals that parallel reviews of other University of California health programs remain possible. It also places every medical school that receives federal funds on notice that the same standards will apply.

The investigation opened after the Supreme Court’s June 2023 decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which held that race-based admissions at colleges and universities violate the Equal Protection Clause. The Justice Department has opened similar reviews at additional institutions since that ruling took effect.