Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard

Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, 600 U.S. 181 (2023), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Students for Fair Admissions challenged Harvard College’s and the University of North Carolina’s race-conscious admissions policies, arguing that they violated the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The plaintiffs claimed that Asian American applicants were disadvantaged by the consideration of race.

Significance

Chief Justice Roberts’ 6-2 (Harvard) and 6-3 (UNC) opinion overruled Grutter v. Bollinger and Bakke, holding that race-based admissions programs violate the Equal Protection Clause. The Court found that the programs lacked measurable objectives for the diversity interest, used race in a negative manner against some applicants, and perpetuated racial stereotypes. The decision marked the end of over 45 years of affirmative action in higher education admissions.

Category

US Federal Case Law