Which court case addressed racial quotas in college admissions and held quotas unconstitutional but could be considered as a factor?

Which court case addressed racial quotas in college admissions and held quotas unconstitutional but could be considered as a factor?

• A. Plessy v Ferguson
• B. UC v Bakke
• C. Brown v Board of Education
• D. Roe v Wade

Answer: (B)

When a court case tests how race can be used in college admissions, the key idea is that rigid quotas are not allowed, but race can be one factor among many in a holistic review to promote diversity. In University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court ruled that fixed numerical quotas in the UC medical school admissions process were unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. At the same time, the Court indicated that race could be considered as part of an applicant’s overall qualifications to achieve a diverse student body, not as a guaranteed admission-based outcome. This distinction shows why the decision supported broad diversity efforts while rejecting explicit quotas. The other cases involve different issues—separate facilities and desegregation in Plessy and Brown, and abortion rights in Roe—so they don’t address how race may be used in admissions decisions.

When a court case tests how race can be used in college admissions, the key idea is that rigid quotas are not allowed, but race can be one factor among many in a holistic review to promote diversity. In University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme Court ruled that fixed numerical quotas in the UC medical school admissions process were unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. At the same time, the Court indicated that race could be considered as part of an applicant’s overall qualifications to achieve a diverse student body, not as a guaranteed admission-based outcome. This distinction shows why the decision supported broad diversity efforts while rejecting explicit quotas. The other cases involve different issues—separate facilities and desegregation in Plessy and Brown, and abortion rights in Roe—so they don’t address how race may be used in admissions decisions.