Trump orders universities to hand over college admissions data on race
FILE-President Donald Trump gestures as he meets British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for bilateral talks at Trump Turnberry golf club on July 28, 2025 in Turnberry, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum requiring colleges to submit data as evidence they don’t consider race in their admissions process.
"The persistent lack of available data — paired with the rampant use of ‘diversity statements’ and other overt and hidden racial proxies — continues to raise concerns about whether race is actually used in admissions decisions in practice," the Associated Press noted, citing the memorandum signed by Trump.
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Trump’s new policy is like portions of a recent settlement agreement with Brown University and Columbia University, resulting in the renewal of the schools' federal research money.
The universities agreed to provide the federal government with data on the race, grade point averages and test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students. These colleges also agreed to be audited by the government and to release admissions statistics.
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President Donald Trump’s memo directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to require colleges to report more data "to provide adequate transparency into admissions." The National Center for Education Statistics will collect new data, including the race and sex of colleges’ applicants, admitted students and enrolled students, the Associated Press reported, citing a statement from the Education Department.
Citing the memo, the AP reported that if colleges fail to submit timely, complete, and accurate data, McMahon can act under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, which details requirements for colleges receiving federal financial aid for students.
RELATED: Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions
The Supreme Court ruled against the use of affirmative action in admissions in 2023 but said colleges could still consider how race has impacted students’ lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays.
According to the AP, the first year of admissions data after the Supreme Court ruling showed no definitive pattern in how colleges’ diversity changed as results varied at schools.
Some colleges have added more essays or personal statements to their admissions process to get a better picture of an applicant’s background, a tactic the Supreme Court supported in its ruling.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which cites a memo signed by President Donald Trump on colleges providing admissions data. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.