Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard

The Court held that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and UNC violate equal protection and Title VI.

Overview

Students for Fair Admissions challenged admissions programs considering race at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. Chief Justice Roberts, for a 6-3 and 6-2 majority in the paired cases, held that the racial classifications lacked sufficiently measurable objectives and employed race in a stereotyped way, overruling the central holdings of Grutter and Bakke. Universities may still consider how race has affected an applicant's life when discussed in essays. The decision ended explicit race-conscious admissions at selective schools nationwide, reshaping American higher education.