The likelihood of black applicants being admitted to medical school with the same MCAT scores, undergraduate GPAs, and socio-economic background is 12.6 times that of white applicants, while Hispanic applicants have a 4.6 times higher chance than white applicants. Compared to Asian applicants, black and Hispanic applicants also have higher admission rates – this is the result of an investigation conducted by the US Department of Justice into the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine’s admissions practices.
The Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced on Tuesday (September 22) that UCSF School of Medicine engaged in discriminatory practices based on race in admissions decisions for three incoming classes between 2023 and 2025, favoring black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian applicants, violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. UCSF denies the Department of Justice’s findings.
The Department of Justice initiated an investigation into UCSF School of Medicine on March 30, requesting admissions data and related policies and procedures documents. In a conclusion letter, the Department of Justice stated that while some data and 83 additional documents were provided by the university, many did not directly address their inquiries, and the university failed to provide explanations for discrepancies in MCAT scores and GPAs among different racial groups.
According to the Department of Justice, UCSF’s admissions process involves three stages: initial application, secondary application, and interviews. Applicants are asked to disclose their racial background in the application materials. Less than 10% of secondary applicants progress to the interview stage, but the invitation rate for black and Hispanic applicants is higher than that of white and Asian applicants, with the former groups having lower average MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs among invitees.
For the year 2025, data from the Department of Justice investigation shows that the interview invitation rates were 4.81% for Asian applicants, 3.95% for white applicants, 11.52% for black applicants, and 8.32% for Hispanic applicants. The average MCAT scores for admitted students in 2025 were 518 for Asians, 519 for whites, 514 for blacks, and 513 for Hispanics.
The Department of Justice also noted that some black and Hispanic applicants admitted to UCSF School of Medicine between 2023 and 2025 had academic performances below the average level of white and Asian applicants who were not admitted.
Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, Harmeet K. Dhillon, stated, “Unfortunately, at UCSF School of Medicine, MCAT scores and undergraduate GPAs are being overshadowed by race.” She emphasized that individuals aspiring to become doctors should be admitted based on their qualifications.
UCSF refutes the Department of Justice’s findings. According to Reuters, the university stated on Tuesday evening that each medical school applicant undergoes a “rigorous, individualized review process, prioritizing academic excellence.”
The university noted that academic performance is just one factor considered in admissions, with applicants’ experiences, personal qualities, and potential to become doctors also taken into account. UCSF stated that they will continue to engage in constructive communication with the Department of Justice to address the controversy.
In 2023, the US Supreme Court ruled in the “Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, SFFA” case concerning Harvard University and the University of North Carolina that colleges cannot consider race in admissions. The Department of Justice’s findings against UCSF’s admissions practices were deemed to violate Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as well as the Supreme Court ruling.
The Department of Justice highlighted that many medical schools in the US receive significant federal funding and therefore must comply with federal anti-discrimination laws. The Department of Justice will continue to investigate whether medical schools adhere to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the principles established in the SFFA case, prohibiting the consideration of race in admissions.
For schools found to be non-compliant by the Department of Justice, including UCSF, the department is engaging in settlement negotiations to align their admissions practices with legal requirements; failure to reach a resolution may lead to litigation. UCSF has been instructed to respond by October 2, with the possibility of facing legal action if a voluntary agreement is not reached.