The U.S. Department of Justice announced Thursday that its Civil Rights Division has launched investigations into 15 medical schools over allegations of potential racial discrimination in their admissions processes.

The investigations represent an expansion of the department's scrutiny of medical school admissions practices. The announcement follows recent Justice Department findings that medical schools at the University of California, Los Angeles and Yale University illegally used race in their admissions decisions.

The Civil Rights Division will examine whether the 15 schools, which receive federal funding, are engaging in discriminatory practices in their admissions processes. The department has not publicly identified which specific medical schools are under investigation.

The probes come amid broader national debate over the use of race-conscious admissions practices in higher education. The Supreme Court ruled in June 2023 that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina violated the Constitution, effectively ending decades of affirmative action in college admissions.

Medical schools that receive federal funding are required to comply with federal civil rights laws prohibiting discrimination based on race, color, or national origin. The Justice Department's investigations will determine whether any of the institutions have violated these requirements in their admissions practices.