The U.S. Justice Department has accused the University of California, Davis School of Medicine of using admissions practices that unlawfully favor Black and Latino applicants over equally or more qualified white and Asian candidates. The allegations, announced in June 2024 following a six-month investigation by the department’s Civil Rights Division, assert that the school’s approach violates the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling restricting race-based admissions decisions.

According to the Justice Department, UC Davis employed a tool known as the "Davis Scale," which assesses socioeconomic disadvantage by incorporating factors like parental income and geographic data, to disproportionately increase the acceptance rates of Black and Hispanic students. The department cited data indicating that Black and Latino applicants were admitted at rates up to six times higher than white and Asian applicants, despite having lower average academic qualifications. The Justice Department contends this practice constitutes racial discrimination and undermines merit-based admissions.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon emphasized the Justice Department’s commitment to enforcing federal law, stating that the school’s admissions methods exhibit disregard for the legal standards set forth by the Supreme Court and could have public health implications by potentially prioritizing race over competence. The department has requested a voluntary agreement from UC Davis to revise its admissions policies in compliance with federal law and indicated it would pursue litigation if an agreement is not reached.

UC Davis responded to the allegations by expressing disappointment with the Justice Department’s report and disputing its characterization of the school’s admissions processes. A university spokesperson underscored the institution’s dedication to addressing critical healthcare workforce needs while denying that the findings accurately represent its admissions criteria or intent.

In 2024, UC Davis became the third most racially diverse medical school nationwide, a status the Justice Department attributes to the contested admissions methods. The investigation into UC Davis is part of broader scrutiny of University of California system medical schools, with similar probes currently underway at UCLA and UC San Diego.

The dispute reflects ongoing tensions over affirmative action policies following recent legal limits, with higher education institutions balancing diversity goals against evolving federal regulations governing admissions.