President Donald Trump issued an executive memorandum on Thursday directing the Education Secretary to broaden the scope of admissions data reported by colleges and universities. The goal is to enhance transparency related to race-based admissions practices, a senior White House official said.
The memorandum instructs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to update the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), a longstanding federal database that collects data on tuition, admissions, enrollment, and financial aid trends.
Expanded Data Collection and Reporting
Under the new directive, the National Center for Education Statistics will collect more detailed admissions data. Colleges and universities will be required to report admissions information disaggregated by race and sex, covering applicant pools, admitted students, and enrolled cohorts at both undergraduate and specific graduate and professional program levels.
Secretary McMahon emphasized the administration’s commitment to meritocracy in education, 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.”
Supreme Court Ruling and Data Gaps
In June 2023, the Supreme Court ruled that colleges and universities cannot use race as a specific factor in admissions decisions, overturning decades of precedent intended to support Black and Latino students.
Since that ruling, officials say there has been insufficient admissions data available, raising concerns about whether race is still being used in admissions in practice. The expanded reporting aims to verify compliance with the court’s decision.
The executive action aligns with the Trump administration’s broader push to reform Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives at universities. Recent multi-million-dollar agreements with Brown University and Columbia University included commitments to provide detailed admissions data.
As part of the Columbia deal, the institution agreed to submit data showing rejected and admitted students broken down by race, color, GPA, and standardized test scores. Thursday’s executive memorandum appears to extend this requirement to all federally funded colleges.
What The Author Thinks
Increasing transparency in college admissions data is a step toward ensuring fair and merit-based processes. However, such efforts should be paired with careful consideration of privacy and the complex factors influencing admissions decisions. Transparency can build trust among students and families, but it must not be weaponized to oversimplify or politicize nuanced admissions policies. A balanced approach will foster both accountability and equity in higher education.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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