17 States Sue Trump Administration Over New College Race‑Data Reporting Mandate
A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a federal lawsuit in Boston on March 11, 2026, challenging a Trump administration policy that forces colleges and universities to submit detailed admissions data disaggregated by race and sex to prove they are not considering race in admissions. Ordered by President Donald Trump in an August memo and implemented by Education Secretary Linda McMahon, the policy requires institutions to provide seven years of retroactive data on applicants, admitted students and enrollees by March 18, with potential Title IV penalties for incomplete or inaccurate reporting. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell calls the move unlawful, rushed and arbitrary, arguing it threatens student privacy, could lead to flawed data and “baseless investigations,” and puts federal funding at risk for schools that cannot comply in time. The Education Department, through spokesperson Ellen Keast, defends the effort as transparency for taxpayers and an expansion of existing tools like IPEDS and prior Brown and Columbia settlements to show whether universities are using race in admissions despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 affirmative‑action ruling. The case tees up a major legal fight over how far Washington can go in using data demands and funding leverage to police post‑affirmative‑action admissions practices and could shape both civil‑rights enforcement and student‑privacy norms across U.S. higher education.
📌 Key Facts
- A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed suit March 11, 2026, in federal court in Boston against the Trump administration’s new higher‑ed data policy.
- President Trump’s August memo directs Education Secretary Linda McMahon to require colleges to submit seven years of admissions data disaggregated by race and sex, with new data due by March 18.
- The Education Department says the National Center for Education Statistics, via IPEDS, will collect the data and that noncompliant schools could face Title IV actions affecting federal student aid.
- AG Andrea Joy Campbell argues the rushed timeline will produce unreliable data, expose schools to penalties and investigations, and jeopardize student privacy by making individuals easier to identify.
- ED spokesperson Ellen Keast says taxpayers who invest over $100 billion a year in higher education deserve transparency on whether colleges are considering race in admissions.
📊 Relevant Data
In 2024, the average SAT total score for Asian students was 1108, for White students 1067, for Black/African American students 905, and for Hispanic/Latino students 897, out of a possible 1600.
2024 Total Group SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report — College Board
Asian students comprised 10% of SAT test-takers in 2024, Black/African American students 12%, Hispanic/Latino students 25%, and White students 37%.
2024 Total Group SAT Suite of Assessments Annual Report — College Board
Following the 2023 Supreme Court ruling banning affirmative action, Black student enrollment at selective universities declined, with Harvard dropping from 18% to 11.5% and Columbia from 20% to 13%.
Colleges feel the weight of Supreme Court affirmative action decision as Black enrollment falls — The Hill
In the wake of the affirmative action ban, Asian American enrollment increased at some institutions, such as Columbia rising by 9% and Harvard by 4%.
Colleges feel the weight of Supreme Court affirmative action decision as Black enrollment falls — The Hill
📰 Source Timeline (1)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time