The Department of Education has 51 universities in its sights, charging that they are operating programs that discriminate on the basis of race.
The Office of Civil Rights has begun investigations to determine if the schools violated Title VI, which prohibits discrimination based on race.
Forty-five colleges are being investigated due to their partnership with “The Ph.D. Project.”
According to a news release posted on the Education Department’s website, the organization “purports to provide doctoral students with insights into obtaining a Ph.D. and networking opportunities, but limits eligibility based on the race of participants.”
The release said six schools are under investigation for providing race-based scholarships, which are not permitted.
A university, the release said, was “allegedly administering a program that segregates students on the basis of race” and is also under investigation.
“The Department is working to reorient civil rights enforcement to ensure all students are protected from illegal discrimination,” Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said.
“The agency has already launched Title VI investigations into institutions where widespread anti-Semitic 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,” she said.
“Students must be assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin. We will not yield on this commitment.”
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Colleges under investigation in connection with “The Ph.D. Project” are: Arizona State University – Main Campus; Boise State University; Cal Poly Humboldt; California State University – San Bernadino; Carnegie Mellon University; Clemson University; Cornell University; Duke University; Emory University; George Mason University; Georgetown University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT); Montana State University-Bozeman; New York University (NYU); Rice University; Rutgers University; The Ohio State University – Main Campus; Towson University; Tulane University; Vanderbilt University; Washington State University; Washington University in St. Louis; and Yale University.
Also on the list are the University of Arkansas – Fayetteville; University of California-Berkeley; University of Chicago; University of Cincinnati – Main Campus; University of Colorado – Colorado Springs; University of Delaware; University of Kansas; University of Kentucky; University of Michigan-Ann Arbor; University of Nebraska at Omaha; University of New Mexico – Main Campus; University of North Dakota – Main Campus; University of North Texas – Denton; University of Notre Dame; University of NV – Las Vegas; University of Oregon; University of Rhode Island; University of Utah; University of Washington-Seattle; University of Wisconsin-Madison; and the University of Wyoming
The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities was under investigation for its graduate program and on the list of colleges offering either race-based scholarships or practicing race-based segregation.
Also being investigated for the scholarship or segregation practices are: Grand Valley State University; Ithaca College; New England College of Optometry; University of Alabama; University of South Florida; and University of Oklahoma, Tulsa School of Community Medicine.
Department Of Education To Investigate Yale Over Alleged Title VI Violationshttps://t.co/hH2CkBzDkw
— The Connecticut Centinal (@CTCentinal) March 14, 2025
Last month, Craig Traynor, the acting assistant secretary for civil rights, warned colleges in a letter that discrimination would not be tolerated, warning that “race-based decision-making, no matter the form, remains impermissible.”
“The law is clear: treating students differently on the basis of race to achieve nebulous goals such as diversity, racial balancing, social justice, or equity is illegal under controlling Supreme Court precedent,” he wrote.
“In recent years, American educational institutions have discriminated against students on the basis of race, including white and Asian students, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds and low-income families. These institutions’ embrace of pervasive and repugnant race-based preferences and other forms of racial discrimination have emanated throughout every facet of academia.”
“For example, colleges, universities, and K-12 schools have routinely used race as a factor in admissions, financial aid, hiring, training, and other institutional programming. In a shameful echo of a darker period in this country’s history, many American schools and universities even encourage segregation by race at graduation ceremonies and in dormitories and other facilities,” he wrote.
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