University of California Sued Over Alleged Use of Racial Preferences in Admissions
Credit: Hongjie Han / Moment / Getty Images- An organization has filed a lawsuit against the University of California, alleging that the university system considers race in college admissions.
- The complaint claims that the university system favors Black and Hispanic students in admissions and discriminates against white and Asian American applicants.
- UC has been prohibited from considering race in admissions since 1996 and uses a “comprehensive admissions review process” when considering applicants.
Even though affirmative action has been illegal in California for decades, a lawsuit filed in federal court alleges that the University of California (UC) system engages in race-based college admissions that discriminates against white and Asian American applicants.
The complaint, filed Feb. 3 in the U.S. District Court in the Central District of California, argues that UC favors Black and Hispanic applicants over white and Asian American applicants in admissions, violating state and federal laws prohibiting public institutions from considering race in college admissions.
“The University of California system discriminates on account of race when admitting students by giving discriminatory preferences to non-Asian racial minorities,” the lawsuit read. “This practice allows applicants with inferior academic credentials to obtain admission at the expense of rejected candidates with better academic credentials.”
Students Against Racial Discrimination, a nonprofit organization, filed the suit aimed at “restoring meritocracy in academia” on behalf of white and Asian American students who are ready to apply for admission to UC as undergraduate first-year, graduate, transfer, or law students.
The lawsuit contends that the “pervasive and ongoing use of racial preferences” prevents the plaintiffs from competing with other applicants (specifically those who are Black or Hispanic) “on an equal basis,” violating the 14th Amendment and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
The plaintiffs are seeking an injunction prohibiting UC from considering race in student admissions, which has been illegal in the state since 1996 and nationwide since 2023. They’re also asking the court to appoint a monitor to oversee student admissions “to ensure that these decisions are free from racial discrimination of any sort.”
In a statement to BestColleges, a UC spokesperson said that the university had not been served with the filing and, if served, would “vigorously defend” its admissions practices.
“We believe this to be a meritless suit that seeks to distract us from our mission to provide California students with a world-class education,” the statement read.
A ‘Comprehensive Review Process’
UC adopted race-neutral admission policies in 1996, following the voters’ approval of Proposition 209, a state constitutional amendment prohibiting public institutions from considering race in college admissions.
The university currently employs a “comprehensive admissions review process,” which can include factors such as an applicant’s grade point average, academic performance, class rank, and special accomplishments “in light of your life experiences and special circumstances.”
The university spokesperson confirmed UC adjusted its admissions policies to comply with Proposition 209 and collects students’ race and ethnicity for statistical purposes only, not for admission.
The lawsuit argues that the holistic review process “favor[s] Black and Hispanic admissions and disfavored Asian Americans and, to a lesser extent, whites.”
Last month, UC released data showing that Latino/a and African American enrollment increased by 3.1% and 4.6%, respectively, since 2023, in contrast to other universities that saw decreases in these enrollments after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action.
From 2014-2024, African American undergraduate enrollment across all nine UC campuses increased by more than 50%, with Hispanic and Latino/a undergraduate enrollment increasing by around 45%. In contrast, Asian American undergraduate enrollment increased by just 22%, and white student enrollment decreased by 4%.
However, Asian American, Hispanic and Latino/a, and white students continue to make up the majority of the campus population, comprising approximately 36%, 27%, and 20% of the total undergraduate population, respectively, versus only 5% for African American students.
In a statement after the Supreme Court prohibited the use of race in college admissions, UC President Michael V. Drake said the university system had continued to “aggressively pursue avenues for increasing diverse student applications, admissions, enrollment, and retention” after Proposition 209 was passed.
He cited several initiatives to encourage students “from all backgrounds” to apply to college, such as the Early Academic Outreach Program, which works to prepare students at underserved schools for college.
The lawsuit acknowledges practices like these are not against the law, but it says that initiatives like these had a “disproportionate and beneficial” effect on Black and Hispanic students and led to increased applications from Black and Hispanic students.