Raising the bar on achieving racial diversity in higher education: the United States Supreme Court's decision in Fisher v University of Texas.

In Fisher v University of Texas, the U.S. Supreme Court revisited the constitutionality of race-conscious admissions practices aimed at fostering student diversity in university programs. Although it concluded that student diversity remains the type of compelling state interest that justifies consideration of race in admissions, the court nonetheless raised the bar on the use of such practices by requiring universities to prove that no workable race-neutral methods can produce the same result. Whether this standard of proof is one that can be met-and whether challenges will mount against universities that continue to use the holistic methods sanctioned 10 years ago in Grutter v Bollinger-remains to be seen. In this commentary, the authors review the background and history of the Supreme Court's decisions on race as a factor in university admissions decisions and examine the potential effects of Fisher on medical education specifically.