Harvard admissions face renewed investigation: What you need to know about Trump's latest order
Harvard University and other American universities are now subject to expanded federal requirements to disclose race-related admissions data, following a recent memorandum from President Donald Trump.
This directive is part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to enforce compliance with the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling that limits the consideration of race in college admissions.
The memorandum mandates that universities provide detailed data showing that race is not a factor in admissions decisions. This order follows agreements with two Ivy League universities, Brown and Columbia, which have already consented to release additional admissions data under similar conditions.
Harvard's admissions process is now under renewed scrutiny amid ongoing federal investigations and negotiations.
New requirements on data disclosure and admissions transparency
The order tasks the Education Secretary, Linda McMahon, with overhauling the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), which collects nationwide university statistics. According to the memorandum, the Department of Education will expand its reporting scope to improve transparency around university admissions for the 2025-26 academic year.
This includes reporting on student race, sex, test scores, grade point averages, and first-generation status.
Although the memorandum does not explicitly demand race data, the administration has stated its intention to use the new requirements to prevent "race-based preferences" in admissions, as reported by the Harvard Crimson. McMahon has directed the National Center for Education Statistics to collect this expanded data to monitor whether universities comply with the Supreme Court's decision.
Supreme Court ruling and its impact on Harvard admissions
In 2023, the Supreme Court struck down Harvard's affirmative action policy in its undergraduate admissions, ruling that the university's use of race as a factor was unconstitutional. The ruling permits colleges to consider how race has shaped an applicant's experiences but prohibits explicit racial preferences.
Despite the ruling, Harvard's admitted student demographics showed little change in 2024.
Asian students remained at 37 percent of the class, Black student enrolment dropped from 18 percent to 14 percent, and Latino or Hispanic student numbers increased from 14 percent to 16 percent. Harvard also altered its admissions data release policy, choosing to publish the profile of the incoming freshman class in the autumn instead of in May when admission decisions are released.
According to the Harvard Crimson, this adjustment was made to comply with the Supreme Court decision.
Federal investigation and Harvard's ongoing negotiations
Harvard is engaged in negotiations with the federal government over several allegations raised by the Trump administration. These include claims that the university failed to combat antisemitism and practiced racial discrimination through its diversity, equity, and inclusion offices.
The Trump administration's memorandum highlights concerns about universities using "diversity statements" and "overt and hidden racial proxies" to circumvent the Supreme Court's ban on affirmative action.
The Department of Education has signalled that both undergraduate and certain graduate and professional programmes will be subject to increased reporting requirements, though specific programmes remain unspecified.
According to the Harvard Crimson, Harvard Law School experienced significant drops in minority enrolment in its first J.D. class admitted after the ruling, with declines in Black and Hispanic students and increases in white and Asian students.
The new order requires Harvard College to report admissions data on both applicant pools and admitted classes, increasing federal oversight.
Broader implications for US universities
The Trump administration's expanded disclosure requirements follow settlements with Brown and Columbia universities, which agreed to disclose additional admissions data beyond what the federal government previously collected.
The latest order extends these requirements to all US universities receiving federal funding.
This development ensures Harvard's admissions data will be subject to rigorous federal scrutiny. The administration aims to make IPEDS data "easily accessible and intelligibly presented for parents and students," as cited by the Harvard Crimson. However, admissions offices' internal procedures may remain confidential despite increased transparency efforts.
The expanded reporting is expected to intensify monitoring of how universities comply with the Supreme Court's ruling and the Trump administration's interpretation of race-neutral admissions policies.
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