---
title: "Regents of the University of California v. Bakke | Civil Rights"
description: "Regents of the University of California v. Bakke is the 1978 Supreme Court case that allowed race as one admissions factor but rejected racial quotas."
canonical: "https://fiveable.me/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/regents-of-the-university-of-california-v-bakke"
type: "key-term"
subject: "Civil Rights and Civil Liberties"
unit: "Unit 3"
---

# Regents of the University of California v. Bakke | Civil Rights

## Definition

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke is the 1978 Supreme Court case on affirmative action in college admissions. It said race can be one factor, but fixed racial quotas in admissions are unconstitutional.

## What It Is

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke is a Supreme Court case in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties that shaped how schools can use race in admissions. The case came from Allan Bakke's challenge to the University of California, Davis Medical School, where a special admissions program set aside seats for minority applicants.

The Court did two things at once. It rejected the idea of strict racial quotas, meaning a school cannot reserve a fixed number of spots for applicants of one race. At the same time, it said race may still be considered as one factor among others in a broader admissions process.

That split result matters because the Court did not give a simple yes or no to affirmative action. Instead, it drew a line between using race to pursue diversity and using race to lock in a set number of seats. In this case, Bakke argued that the special admissions plan treated him unfairly because his test scores were higher than some admitted minority applicants.

For civil rights law, Bakke sits right at the meeting point of equal protection and remedies for racial inequality. The decision reflects a long-running legal question in the United States: when does a race-conscious policy try to correct discrimination, and when does it become discrimination itself?

In class, Bakke is usually discussed with affirmative action and racial discrimination because it shows how the Court treats equal opportunity. It also sets up later debates about whether diversity can justify race-conscious admissions and how schools should design policies that do not look like quotas.

## Why It Matters

Bakke matters because it gives you a concrete example of how the Supreme Court handles race, equality, and access to education. The case is not just about one medical school applicant. It shows the legal difference between a policy that considers race and a policy that assigns benefits or seats based on race.

That distinction comes up again and again in civil rights law. When you read about affirmative action, equal protection, or discrimination claims, Bakke is one of the first cases that explains why some race-conscious policies survive legal challenge while others do not. It also shows why lawyers and judges pay close attention to wording, because a program described as a quota can get treated very differently from a program that uses race as one factor.

The case also helps you see how courts balance competing values. On one side is the goal of remedying historic exclusion and increasing diversity. On the other side is the principle that government should not sort people into fixed racial categories when handing out opportunities. Bakke is the kind of case that makes those tensions visible instead of abstract.

## Connections

### Affirmative Action

Bakke is one of the landmark cases students use to see how affirmative action works in practice. The Court did not ban every race-conscious admissions plan, but it did reject the idea that schools can reserve seats through a strict quota. That makes Bakke a starting point for understanding how affirmative action policies are designed and challenged.

### Racial Quotas

This is the part of the admissions plan the Court found most troubling in Bakke. A quota sets aside a fixed number of spots for a racial group, which is different from considering race as one factor in a broader review. The case is a useful example of why courts often separate quotas from other forms of race-conscious decision-making.

### [Equal Opportunity](/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/equal-opportunity)

Bakke connects to equal opportunity because the case asks whether admissions rules create fair access or unfair advantages. The Court had to weigh the claim that Bakke was treated unequally against the claim that the university was trying to broaden access for historically excluded groups. That tension is central to civil rights debates about fairness.

### [Grutter v. Bollinger](/civil-rights-civil-liberties/key-terms/grutter-v-bollinger)

Grutter is a later affirmative action case that builds on the legal questions Bakke opened up. If Bakke shows the Court rejecting quotas, Grutter shows the Court allowing a more flexible diversity-based admissions policy. Reading them together helps you track how the law changed as schools refined their admissions systems.

## On the AP Exam

On a quiz or essay prompt, you might be asked to identify what Bakke held, explain why the admissions program was challenged, or compare quotas with race as one factor. A strong answer names the basic rule from the case, then connects it to equal protection and affirmative action. If you get a passage or short-response question, look for language about set-asides, diversity, or fixed racial numbers. Those are clues that the question is testing Bakke, not a generic discrimination issue.

## Regents of the University of California v. Bakke vs Grutter v. Bollinger

Both cases deal with affirmative action in college admissions, so they are easy to mix up. Bakke is the earlier case that rejected racial quotas but allowed race to be considered as one factor. Grutter later upheld a more flexible race-conscious admissions policy, so it is often used as the follow-up case.

## Key Takeaways

- Regents of the University of California v. Bakke is a 1978 Supreme Court case about affirmative action in college admissions.
- The Court said race can be considered as one factor, but schools cannot use rigid racial quotas to reserve a fixed number of seats.
- The case came from Allan Bakke's claim that a special admissions program at UC Davis Medical School treated him unfairly.
- Bakke is a major civil rights case because it shows how equal protection and efforts to address racial inequality can collide.
- You usually use this case to explain the legal limits of affirmative action and the difference between quotas and broader admissions review.

## FAQs

### What is Regents of the University of California v. Bakke in Civil Rights and Civil Liberties?

It is a 1978 Supreme Court case about affirmative action in college admissions. The Court said schools may consider race as one factor, but they cannot use strict racial quotas that reserve a fixed number of spots for a racial group.

### Did Bakke strike down affirmative action?

No. The Court did not ban all affirmative action. It rejected the quota system used in the UC Davis Medical School admissions plan, but it left room for race to be considered in a broader admissions process.

### Why is Bakke about racial discrimination?

Because the case asks whether a race-conscious admissions policy is a remedy for discrimination or a form of discrimination itself. That is why it shows up in civil rights units about equal protection and equal opportunity.

### How is Bakke different from Grutter v. Bollinger?

Bakke is the case that rejects fixed quotas and allows race as one factor. Grutter comes later and deals with a more flexible admissions policy, so it is often used to show how the Court moved from one version of affirmative action to another.

## Related Study Guides

- [3.6 Affirmative action](/civil-rights-civil-liberties/unit-3/affirmative-action/study-guide/n73sQVC76au82sP0)
- [3.1 Racial discrimination](/civil-rights-civil-liberties/unit-3/racial-discrimination/study-guide/sejiFvpe7kcub2xq)

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