Trump Demands Colleges Prove No Racial Bias in Admissions

As of August 2025, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order demanding that colleges and universities submit data to prove they are not considering race in their admissions processes. This order comes two years after the Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in college admissions, though the court did say schools could still consider how race has shaped an applicant's life if the applicant chooses to share that information.

The Trump administration is accusing elite colleges, which it views as "liberal hotbeds," of using personal statements, "diversity statements," and other "proxies" to illegally consider race in admissions decisions. Conservatives argue that despite the Supreme Court's ruling, many schools have continued to give preference to certain racial groups. However, the first year of admissions data after the court's decision showed no clear pattern, with some schools seeing steep drops in Black enrollment while others experienced minimal changes.

Colleges maintain that they are following the Supreme Court's guidance and only considering race if an applicant chooses to discuss how it has impacted their life. But the White House claims the "lack of available admissions data" raises concerns about whether race is still being used in practice. The executive order aims to force schools to be more transparent about their admissions processes and data.