In 1978, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978) made its way to the Supreme Court, paving the way for affirmative action policies in educational institutions. The court was tasked with deciding whether or not the University of California’s admissions policy at its Medical School was unconstitutional. The University had set aside 16 out of 100 places in the entering class for minority applicants, this policy was challenged by Allan Bakke, a white American applicant.
The Supreme Court ruled against the University of California’s admissions policy, finding that it violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The ruling, however, acknowledged that the school could consider race as one of many factors in its admissions process. This was known as the “Bakke decision,” and it set the standard for affirmative action policies in educational institutions. It stipulated that race could be used in university admissions, provided it is not the sole or primary criterion.
The Bakke decision has shaped much of the discussion around affirmative action policies in higher education for the past 40 years. It has been cited by the Supreme Court in several other cases, and the ruling continues to affect the way colleges and universities make admissions decisions. Many argue that the decision is antiquated and does not accurately reflect the changing nature of the college admissions process.