Which case upheld diversity as a compelling interest in university admissions and allowed race to be a factor?

Which case upheld diversity as a compelling interest in university admissions and allowed race to be a factor?

• A. Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
• B. Fisher v. University of Texas (2013)
• C. Grutter v. Bollinger (2003)
• D. Loving v. Virginia (1967)

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is whether higher education admissions can consider race as part of a plan to achieve a diverse student body, under strict scrutiny. The Supreme Court case that first clearly upheld this approach is Grutter v. Bollinger. In Grutter, the Court approved the University of Michigan Law School’s holistic admissions policy because it aimed to cultivate a diverse learning environment and the plan was narrowly tailored: race was one factor among many in an individualized review, with no rigid quotas, and the school pursued ongoing assessment to ensure it served the educational benefits of diversity. This establishes that diversity can be treated as a compelling interest in admissions, and race can be one factor within a holistic evaluation when used carefully and not as a quota. By contrast, Bakke rejected fixed quotas but allowed race as one factor in some contexts; Fisher reaffirmed the race-conscious approach within that framework; and Loving v. Virginia deals with interracial marriage, not admissions.

The idea being tested is whether higher education admissions can consider race as part of a plan to achieve a diverse student body, under strict scrutiny. The Supreme Court case that first clearly upheld this approach is Grutter v. Bollinger. In Grutter, the Court approved the University of Michigan Law School’s holistic admissions policy because it aimed to cultivate a diverse learning environment and the plan was narrowly tailored: race was one factor among many in an individualized review, with no rigid quotas, and the school pursued ongoing assessment to ensure it served the educational benefits of diversity. This establishes that diversity can be treated as a compelling interest in admissions, and race can be one factor within a holistic evaluation when used carefully and not as a quota. By contrast, Bakke rejected fixed quotas but allowed race as one factor in some contexts; Fisher reaffirmed the race-conscious approach within that framework; and Loving v. Virginia deals with interracial marriage, not admissions.