Ohio State University disputed findings issued Wednesday by the US Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, which concluded that Ohio State’s College of Medicine discriminates on the basis of race in admissions, in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision restricting the use of race in college admissions.

The DOJ Civil Rights Division concluded that OSU Medicine discriminates through its screening process and “side door” admissions process.

The DOJ found that OSU’s “Super Screener” process was discriminatory. According to the Department, Black applicants who were screened and considered for an interview were 2.8 times more likely to be admitted than Asian applicants with equal credentials.

Furthermore, the DOJ alleges that students who did not receive a screener score or an interview can still be admitted through a “side door.” The DOJ found that in 2024 and 2025, Black applicants were “four times as likely to be admitted [as] white applicants, and no Asian applicants were admitted in this pathway at all.”

The Supreme Court held in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard that the race-conscious admissions programs used by Harvard and the University of North Carolina unlawfully considered race under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VI prohibits discrimination on the basis of “race, color, or national origin” in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.

The DOJ alleges that OSU Medicine’s Holistic Approach states an intent to increase underrepresented minority admissions and that it violates the Supreme Court’s ruling by weighing applicants’ attributes and experiences to give underrepresented minority applicants an advantage.

Ohio State said it “strongly disagrees with the findings” and is in “full compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling and all federal and state laws and regulations regarding admissions.” The University denied that OSU Medicine considers “race, ethnicity or any other protected class” in admissions. The findings come amid changes OSU has implemented to comply with Ohio Senate Bill 1, which imposed new restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at public universities in the state’s higher education system.

The investigation follows a number of federal civil rights investigations into alleged discrimination in university admissions, hiring, and programming over the last year. Other universities targeted in these federal investigations include Duke, George Mason, Harvard, UVA, Yale and William & Mary. These investigations are part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to challenge diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in educational institutions.