UW-Madison Medical School Accused of Racial Disparities in Admissions

UW-Madison Medical School Accused of Racial Disparities in Admissions

This school is suspected of giving preferential treatment to black and Hispanic students.

The Madison Federalist reports:

UW-Madison Medical School Admissions Data Show Racial Disparities

Black and Hispanic applicants faced better odds of being admitted to the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in the 2025 admission cycle than did White or Asian applicants with the same MCAT score and GPA, according to the university’s own data.

Among applicants with the same admission test scores and grade point averages, a Hispanic or Black applicant had nearly 4 times the odds of admission of an Asian applicant.

The data provide evidence that some racial and ethnic groups may be favored in the admissions process, and follow earlier results branded as “brazen” by anti-discrimination activists.

On their own, however, the data do not establish discrimination. Because the school uses a holistic approach in admissions, the disparities could result from other factors, such as life experiences, essays, and letters of recommendation. Furthermore, the dataset does not identify admissions pathways or pipeline programs, such as dual degrees or the Wisconsin Academy for Rural Medicine. These have materially different criteria for admission.

“Our admission process reviews every aspect of an application with the strength of academic preparation key to determining an applicant’s likelihood of success,” university spokesman John Lucas told The Madison Federalist. “Students are admitted on the basis of their likelihood to succeed throughout the rigorous course of study in UWSMPH programs.”

He said that “admission standards fully comply with the law” and “no student is admitted on the basis of their race/ethnicity/identity.” He did not answer whether the admissions process changed in any way between the 2025 and 2026 admissions cycles.

University admissions have come under heightened scrutiny in the wake of a 2023 Supreme Court decision barring universities from using race as an admissions factor.

The medical school’s admissions data were received in August in response to a December 2025 open records request. The data categorizes applicants as “admitted,” “matriculate,” “denied,” and “waitlisted.” This analysis counts “matriculate” and “admitted” toward acceptance.

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