The US Department of Justice’s civil rights division has launched investigations into 15 medical schools over allegations of potential race discrimination in their admissions processes.

Thursday’s announcement follows the DoJ’s recent findings that the medical schools at the University of California, Los Angeles and Yale University illegally used race in their admissions.

“Many of America’s top medical schools appear more concerned about the demographics of their incoming classes than training students to succeed in the profession,” assistant attorney general Harmeet Dhillon of the DoJ’s civil rights division said on Thursday.

“Under this justice department, we will continue to protect American students from discriminatory and illegal preferences in admissions – especially in professions as critical as medicine, where quality of training should be the top priority,” Dhillon added.

According to the DoJ, the investigations will examine whether the schools – all of which receive federal funding – comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act which prohibits discrimination.

The DoJ’s civil rights division stated that it has not reached any conclusions regarding the investigations.

The DoJ has not publicly identified which schools it is investigating. However, after its findings against UCLA and Yale last month, the two universities defended their admissions records. UCLA’s David Geffen school of medicine said that its admissions process is “based on merit” and that it is committed to complying with state and federal laws.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Yale said: “The students admitted to Yale school of medicine demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and personal commitment; its program of medical education encourages curiosity and critical thinking, and its graduates go on to become leaders in clinical care, research, and public service.”

Since retaking office last January, Donald Trump has increased scrutiny of college admissions, alleging that universities are finding ways to factor race into enrolment decisions despite the supreme court’s 2023 ruling prohibiting affirmative action.

While the court’s decision prohibits the direct use of race in admissions decisions, it allows schools to holistically evaluate applicants’ personal experiences and background. The Trump administration has accused universities of using essays and other application materials as indirect ways to factor race into admissions decisions, a process conservatives regard as illegal discrimination.

In March, the DoJ launched investigations into admissions practices at Stanford University, Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego, focusing on whether medical school applicants were subjected to race-based discrimination.

The president also signed an executive action that forces higher education institutions to provide data proving that they are not using race to assess admissions.

In March, 17 Democratic state attorneys general sued to block the executive action, and a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in April that halted the White House’s efforts to collect the data.

The DoJ’s investigations come as part of a broader campaign by the Trump administration to target higher education across the US. Over the last year, the Trump administration has cracked down on universities over various issues, including campus speech and student activism – particularly Palestinian liberation movements – as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, transgender rights and other initiatives that Trump and his allies have characterized as promoting “woke” ideologies.

Trump’s administration has argued that such policies do “not reflect the values of the vast majority of the American public” and has moved to restrict them through various federal actions, prompting widespread public backlash.