Dept. of Education Launches Investigations Into 45 Universities Over Alleged Race-Based Policies

The investigations follow recent guidance emphasizing universities must end race-based programs or risk losing federal funds.

The campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., on July 8, 2020. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The U.S. Department of Education has opened investigations into 45 universities accused of violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 by participating in programs or activities that allegedly discriminate based on race, the department announced on Friday, March 14.

“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.

“The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread antisemitic harassment has been reported and Title IX investigations into entities which allegedly continue to allow sex discrimination; today’s announcement expands our efforts to ensure universities are not discriminating against their students based on race and race stereotypes.”

The Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) said it is reviewing whether the institutions violated federal law by partnering with The PhD Project, a nonprofit organization aimed at increasing diversity among doctoral students in business fields.

The group has been criticized for limiting participation based on race, the department alleged.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for The PdD Project said the group had worked for the past 30 years to “expand the pool of workplace talent by developing business school faculty who inspire, mentor, and support tomorrow’s leaders.”

“Our vision is to create a broader talent pipeline of current and future business leaders who are committed to excellence and to each other, through networking, mentorship, and unique events,” the statement continued. “This year, we have opened our membership application to anyone who shares that vision.”

The universities under investigation for alleged “race-exclusionary practices in their graduate programs” include a list of 45 prominent public and private institutions across the country including Arizona State University, Yale, MIT, Duke, Rutgers, and The Ohio State University.

Additionally, OCR is investigating Grand Valley State University, Ithaca College, New England College of Optometry, University of Alabama, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, University of South Florida, and the University of Tulsa School of Medicine for allegedly awarding scholarships based explicitly on race.

“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin,” McMahon added. “We will not yield on this commitment.”

The investigations come one month after the OCR sent a “Dear Colleague” letter to educational institutions receiving federal funding. The letter instructed universities to stop using racial preferences or stereotypes in admissions, scholarships, hiring, housing, graduation ceremonies, and other campus activities.

The letter cited the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which outlawed racial preferences in college admissions except in narrowly defined circumstances, such as remedying past documented discrimination. According to OCR, universities cannot use diversity or racial balance as reasons to implement race-based programs.

“Discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin is illegal and morally reprehensible,” the Feb. 14 letter stated. It further warned schools against using proxies—such as personal essays or extracurricular activities—as indirect methods for racial selection.

The Education Department said institutions found in violation of Title VI risk losing federal financial assistance. OCR has instructed universities to ensure compliance and cease partnerships with organizations or third-party contractors that operate race-exclusionary programs.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for University of California–Berkeley said, “UC Berkeley has an unwavering commitment to having a campus free of discrimination. We will respond to any complaints or allegations through the process prescribed by the [Department of Education].”

A spokesperson for Arizona State University also told The Epoch Times in a statement, “The W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University on February 20 informed relevant faculty members that the school would not be supporting their travel to the upcoming PhD Project Conference. The school also this year is not financially supporting the PhD Project organization.”

The Epoch Times reached out to other well-known universities under investigation for alleged discrimination, including Carnegie Mellon University, Cornell University, Duke University, MIT, New York University, University of Chicago, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and Yale, but did not hear back by the time of publication.

The Trump administration has recently criticized universities for campus protests supporting Palestinians, labeling some actions by protesters as anti-Semitic, and earlier this month revoked $400 million in federal grants from Columbia University over the school’s alleged response to anti-Semitism.