Trump-Era College Admissions Data Order: A Look Back at the Push for Meritocracy Post-Affirmative Action Ban
Trump-Era College Admissions Data Order: A Look Back at the Push for Meritocracy Post-Affirmative Action Ban
In a significant move during his presidency, Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on a past Thursday, compelling colleges and universities to submit expanded admissions data to the U.S. Department of Education. This directive was framed as a continuation of the administration’s efforts against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, aiming to uncover whether institutions were still factoring race into admissions despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on affirmative action.
The memo asserted that a scarcity of accessible admissions data, combined with the prevalent use of ‘diversity statements’ and other subtle racial indicators, raised concerns about the practical application of race in admissions decisions. While federal student loan participants were already required to provide some enrollment and financial aid data, this order sought more granular detail on both applicants and admitted students.
Following the memo, then-Education Secretary Linda McMahon instructed the National Center for Education Statistics to begin collecting additional data, disaggregated by race and sex. This new data was intended to include quantitative measures like standardized test scores, GPAs, and other applicant characteristics. McMahon emphasized the administration’s commitment to meritocracy, stating, “We will not allow institutions to blight the dreams of students by presuming that their skin color matters more than their hard work and accomplishments.”
The move drew criticism, with Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education (ACE), describing it as a “fishing expedition.” Mitchell, a former undersecretary of education in the Obama administration, highlighted the complexity of admissions, where factors beyond academics are traditionally considered, such as recommendation letters, athletic involvement, and artistic talents. He noted that while the Supreme Court banned race as a determining factor, it also acknowledged the importance of diversity.
The 2023 Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions prompted highly-selective schools nationwide to seek new, legal avenues for maintaining diverse student bodies. Chief Justice John Roberts clarified that applicants could still discuss race in their essays, provided it pertained to how race affected their lives. Subsequent settlement agreements with institutions like Columbia and Brown Universities further underscored the shift, requiring detailed reporting of applicant data and prohibiting the unlawful preference of applicants based on race, color, or national origin.
While the order’s scope—whether it would apply to all 4,000 U.S. colleges or just the roughly 200 highly-selective ones—remained unclear, researchers from Georgetown University had previously simulated the impact of a national race ban, predicting a decrease in ethnic diversity at selective colleges unless there was a fundamental redesign of the admissions system, including the elimination of legacy and athletic recruitment. Enrollment changes in the fall of 2024, the first freshman class after the Supreme Court ruling, showed varied results across selective schools, with some experiencing drops in Black student enrollment while others saw little change.
Challenges in implementing this data collection and enforcement were anticipated, given the Education Department’s reduced staffing at the time. Experts like Jason Cottrell, a former data coordinator for the department, warned that such an undertaking would be time-intensive and resource-demanding, potentially beyond the department’s capacity.
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