Trump Orders Colleges to Gather Racial Data

President Trump ordered the Department of Education to collect detailed data on college applicants’ race, gender, test scores, and GPA on Thursday, to check if universities are favoring minorities in admissions. The decision comes from a 2023 Supreme Court ruling that largely bars racial consideration in admissions.

The directive requires colleges to report data on applicants and admitted students, including race, sex, test scores, and GPAs, segmented by undergraduate and specific graduate programs. Education Secretary Linda McMahon will improve accuracy checks and schools with untimely or inaccurate data. She claims that the move as restoring “meritocracy and excellence” in higher education. The data collection needed to follow the federal law grants the Department of Education broad authority.

Experts have diverse opinions. Conservative activist Edward Blum praised the move as a tool to verify compliance with the 2023 ruling, including checking for racial proxies like neighborhood or income. However, legal experts like Yale’s Justin Driver called it a “catastrophic blow,” warning it may intimidate universities into reducing black and brown enrollment. The American Council on Education’s Ted Mitchell termed it a “fishing expedition,” noting students aren’t required to share racial data.

The move may face legal challenges over student privacy laws, and critics argue priorities are misplaced. Former Education official Aaron Ament said focus should be on college cost transparency, not race data. Meanwhile, the administration’s focus includes Harvard, with halted research funding tied to its compliance, highlights the move’s role in shifting academia’s ideological balance.