More Than 30 Schools Cut Ties With Race-Based PhD Program After Trump Admin Cracks Down

At least 31 universities are severing their partnerships with an organization that the Trump administration has accused of illegal racial discrimination in Ph.D. programs.

The Department of 🎓Education (ED) opened investigations into 45 universities in March 2025 over their partnership with ‘The Ph.D. Project,’ which ED said limits eligibility based on race. Now, Yale, New York University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the University of Michigan and more than 25 other schools have signed the Department’s resolution agreeing to cut ties with the program. The investigation into the 14 remaining universities will continue, a Thursday press release states.

“This is the Trump effect in action: institutions of higher 🎓Education are agreeing to cut ties with discriminatory organizations, recommitting themselves to abiding by federal law, and restoring equality of opportunity on campuses across the nation,” Secretary of 🎓Education Linda McMahon said in a statement. “We are hopeful that other institutions with similarly discriminatory practices will follow suit, paving the way for a future where we reject judging individuals by the color of their skin and once again embrace the principles of merit, excellence, and opportunity.”

McMahon previously stated the intention of the investigations were to ensure students are “assessed according to merit and accomplishment, not prejudged by the color of their skin.”