President Trump just signed a sweeping executive memorandum that could expose—and potentially eliminate—racial discrimination in college admissions once and for all.

In a bold move on Thursday, the president ordered every university receiving federal funding to submit detailed admissions data, including breakdowns by race, sex, GPA, and test scores for every applicant, admittee, and enrollee. The goal? Force transparency and prove whether schools are obeying—or ignoring—the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning race-based admissions.

“American students, parents, and taxpayers deserve to know these schools are admitting students based on merit, not skin color,” the memo reads. It also warns that universities using “diversity statements” or other racial proxies will face scrutiny.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon is spearheading the crackdown, ordering the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) to begin collecting the data immediately. She didn’t mince words, declaring that colleges “will not be allowed to blight the dreams of students by presuming that their skin color matters more than their hard work.”

The move is a direct response to Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, the 2023 landmark ruling that struck down affirmative action. Yet many top universities have been accused of finding creative ways to keep racial preferences alive—through essays, interviews, or vague “character” metrics. Trump’s order aims to root all of that out.

Until now, the only race-based data schools had to report to the Department of Education was on enrolled students. Under Trump’s directive, they must now also report on applicants and those offered admission—making it nearly impossible to cover up discrimination behind closed doors.

The Department of Education said this change “will enable the American public to assess whether schools are passing over the most qualified students in favor of others based on their race.”

If a school tries to stonewall, Trump’s memo gives the government new enforcement tools. Schools that fail to submit timely or accurate data will face consequences. Secretary McMahon has directed her department to increase audit powers to verify the information and take remedial action if necessary.

“These taxpayer-funded schools have been playing games for too long,” McMahon said. “We are done with that.”

The Biden-era Department of Education had shown little interest in enforcing the Supreme Court’s decision, allowing universities to tiptoe around the ruling with language games and subjective metrics. Trump’s new policy leaves no room for ambiguity.

The crackdown is already rattling the academic establishment. University bureaucrats have quietly admitted that race often factored into their admissions decisions, but have rarely had to show their work. Now, under Trump’s new memo, they’ll be forced to.

This isn’t just about transparency—it’s about fairness. Millions of high-achieving students are shut out of elite schools each year because of opaque, agenda-driven admissions processes. Trump is trying to change that by injecting accountability into a system that’s long shielded itself from public view.

Even the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)—the main data tool used by colleges—will now be revamped. It’s no longer just about enrollment and graduation rates. Under Trump’s orders, it will now shine a light on the entire pipeline, from applicant to acceptance.

The message to universities is loud and clear: Merit comes first, and hiding behind buzzwords won’t cut it anymore.

For a generation of students who’ve been told that excellence isn’t enough unless it comes with the right identity, this may be the turning point.

And for the schools that have operated in the shadows? The lights just got switched on.