Key Takeaways
- The Education Department investigation has opened civil rights investigations into admissions practices at five medical schools.
- The review will examine whether the schools followed federal laws that ban discrimination in education.
- The investigations are part of a wider federal review of medical school admissions across the country.
The U.S. Department of Education has launched investigations into five medical schools to review whether their admissions practices follow federal civil rights laws and ensure equal treatment for applicants.
Five Medical Schools Face Federal Review
The Education Department investigation has opened civil rights investigations into five medical schools across the country. The schools are Dartmouth College’s Geisel School of Medicine, East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Western University of Health Sciences, and William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The Office for Civil Rights will examine whether the schools followed Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This law bans discrimination based on race, color, or national origin at schools that receive federal funding. The investigations focus on admissions practices and whether applicants received equal treatment during the admissions process.
Federal officials have not shared detailed evidence about the cases. The investigations are still in the early stages. Officials will review admissions policies, records, and other documents before reaching any conclusions.
Several schools have said they follow a merit-based admissions process. They also said they work to meet all legal requirements and will cooperate fully with the Education Department investigation.
Review Builds on Earlier Medical School Investigations
The new Education Department investigation is part of a broader federal review of medical school admissions. Earlier in 2026, federal agencies opened similar investigations into several other medical schools. Those reviews looked at whether admissions policies followed federal civil rights laws after changes to national admissions rules.
Federal agencies have also reviewed admissions practices at other institutions, including Yale School of Medicine and the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. Those reviews focused on whether admissions decisions treated all applicants fairly under federal law.
The Department of Education is working with the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services during these investigations. The agencies will review the schools’ admissions policies and supporting records. They will then decide whether any changes are needed.
The Education Department investigation does not mean that the schools have broken the law. They are part of the federal process used to examine possible civil rights concerns before any findings are made.
What Happens Next
The Office for Civil Rights will collect information from each school during the investigations. Officials may ask for admissions data, internal policies, and other records. They may also review how admissions decisions were made.
If the Education Department investigation identifies compliance issues, it may ask schools to make changes. Schools usually have the opportunity to respond and address any concerns before further action takes place.
No findings have been announced yet, and the investigations remain ongoing. The review process may take several months, depending on the amount of information that investigators need to examine.
The outcome of the Education Department investigation could influence how medical schools manage admissions in the future. Schools that receive federal funding must continue to show that their admissions processes comply with federal civil rights laws. The reviews may also encourage institutions to strengthen their policies and improve documentation to ensure fair and consistent admissions decisions.
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