The U.S. Naval Academy has decided to no longer consider race, ethnicity, or sex in its admissions process, following an executive order by President Donald Trump. This change, announced in February, was in response to the order Trump signed in January, which directed that the Armed Forces should operate free from any preferences based on race or sex.
The order also instructed the Secretary of Defense to review all activities related to race- or sex-based preferences, including those at the service academies. As a result, Vice Adm. Yvette Davids, the academy’s superintendent, issued new guidance on February 14, 2025, stating that neither race, ethnicity, nor sex could be considered at any point in the admissions process, from qualification to acceptance.
This shift comes after a federal judge ruled in December that the academy could continue factoring race into admissions. In that case, the judge noted that military cohesion and national security were important enough to exempt the academy from the same standards as civilian universities.
During a two-week trial in September, academy lawyers argued that diversity within the military makes it stronger and more effective. However, the case was brought by the group Students for Fair Admissions, which had appealed the judge’s decision.
The Justice Department filed a request to delay the briefing schedule in the case while both sides discuss the new policy and determine the next steps, possibly including whether the case is now moot.
Edward Blum, president of Students for Fair Admissions, praised the decision, calling it a victory against race-based admissions policies, which he described as “unfair and illegal.” He added, “Racial discrimination is wrong, and racial classifications have no place at our nation’s military academies.”
However, Maryland Rep. Sarah Elfreth, who serves on the academy’s Board of Visitors, criticized the change. She warned that it could hurt military recruitment and retention for years to come, saying, “A Navy and Marine Corps that reflect the diversity of our country is our strongest Navy and Marine Corps.”
The lawsuit from Students for Fair Admissions is part of a broader effort that led to a landmark 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions. That decision broadly prohibited considering race and ethnicity but left room for potential exemptions for military academies, based on national security concerns.
Despite the ruling, Students for Fair Admissions challenged the Naval Academy’s race consideration policy. However, Judge Richard Bennett dismissed their claims, stating the academy had shown a “compelling national security interest in a diverse officer corps.”
The academy’s lawyers argued that its admissions process already takes into account a variety of factors like grades, extracurriculars, life experience, and socioeconomic status, with race being a minor factor in some cases.
