The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said Wednesday that the University of California–Davis School of Medicine discriminates based on race in its admission process.

The DOJ made its conclusion after a six-month investigation into the medical school’s admissions practices. The Davis School of Medicine violated the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2023 decision Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the DOJ stated.

The DOJ said its investigation found that UC Davis School of Medicine used admissions practices designed to circumvent the Supreme Court’s ban on affirmative action.

Documents provided by UC Davis School of Medicine showed that school leaders “openly boasted about skirting” the Supreme Court’s ruling, according to the DOJ.

School officials used socioeconomic factors such as family income, parental education, and residence in underserved areas as proxies for race through a system known as the “Davis Scale,” according to the DOJ.

The department said admissions data from 2023 to 2025 showed black and Hispanic applicants were admitted at significantly higher rates than white and Asian applicants, despite lower average academic credentials.

The DOJ said it will seek a settlement and could file a lawsuit if negotiations fail.

“Davis Med’s actions reflect both unabashed contempt for the rule of law and plain disregard for the potential public health consequences of putting race over merit, skill, and competence,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said in a statement. “The Department will not allow schools to violate federal law without consequence.”

The University of California–Davis campus refuted the DOJ’s findings in a statement.

“We are disappointed by the report and its conclusions,” the statement said. “UC Davis School of Medicine strongly disagrees with any characterization of its admissions practices as discriminatory or inconsistent with applicable law. The report’s findings do not accurately reflect the school’s rigorous, individualized, and merit-based admissions process and our firm commitment to complying with applicable federal and state antidiscrimination laws.”

The DOJ announced the investigations in March 2025 and said it would review Stanford University and the University of California system.

UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine and Yale University School of Medicine discriminate based on race in admissions, the DOJ concluded last month.

The Justice Department alleged “elite colleges and universities” have for decades prioritized racial quotas over equality of opportunity as part of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

“The Department of Justice will put an end to a shameful system in which someone’s race matters more than their ability,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Chad Mizelle in March 2025. “Every college and university should know that illegal discrimination in admissions will be investigated and eliminated.”

The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA defended its admission practices at the time, stating that its process was “based on merit and grounded in a rigorous, comprehensive review of each applicant.”

“We are confident in our practices and our mission to maintain access to a high-quality education to all qualified students,” the spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement.

The medical school stated it was reviewing the DOJ’s report and was “committed to providing equal opportunity to all applicants and fully complying with federal and state laws.”

Jill McLaughlin contributed to this report.