DOJ alleges racial discrimination in UCSF medical admissions

The U.S. Justice Department alleges that the University of California, San Francisco’s medical school discriminated by race in admissions for incoming classes from 2023 through 2025, and has asked the university to pursue a voluntary agreement to change its practices. UCSF disputes the findings. The department requested a response by October 2, 2026, and says it will file suit if efforts to reach an agreement fail. The department says the admissions process violated Title VI, which bars race discrimination by institutions receiving federal funds. Its findings letter alleges that race influenced which applicants advanced to interviews and who was admitted, including through essays, hardship questions and other criteria the agency describes as proxies for race. It also raised concerns about two pipeline programs that offer specialized admissions tracks and financial assistance. For 2025 admissions, the Justice Department reported that Black applicants were 12.6 times more likely than White applicants with the same MCAT scores, grade-point averages and socioeconomic traits to be admitted. It reported a 4.