5 times merit made a comeback in 2025

In 2025, merit-based policies made notable gains across higher education.

After years of test-optional admissions and expansive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) mandates, colleges and universities began reversing course in response to pushback from lawmakers and students who argued that academic standards had been weakened.

From renewed emphasis on test scores to rankings that reward rigor over ideology, here are five examples Campus Reform highlighted where merit made a comeback in 2025:

1.  Colleges reinstated standardized test scores in admissions

Several top universities reversed COVID-era test-optional policies in 2025, signaling a renewed focus on objective academic standards in admissions. The University of Miami announced in January that it would reinstate standardized test requirements for students applying in the 2026 admissions cycle, joining Dartmouth College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Johns Hopkins University. In February, the University of Pennsylvania followed suit, becoming the sixth Ivy League school to bring back standardized testing.

2.  University of Austin launched ‘merit-first admissions’

The University of Austin (UATX) in Texas launched a “merit-first admissions” program that automatically admits students who exceed specific standardized test score thresholds and awards full-tuition scholarships to top scorers. 

Applicants who score above 1460 on the SAT, 33 on the ACT, or 105 on the CLT qualify for automatic admission, with top performers eligible for full-tuition scholarships worth up to $100,000. Unlike most colleges, UATX does not consider GPAs, essays, or extracurriculars for students who meet the threshold, framing the policy as a corrective to what it calls a “biased” and “unjust” admissions system that prioritizes identity over ability.

Students below the automatic admission cutoff may still apply through a traditional process that heavily emphasizes other standardized assessments like AP, IB, or SAT Subject Test scores.

3.  New rankings score colleges on merit, academic rigor, free speech

Campus Reform reported on new college rankings from the Manhattan Institute’s City Journal, which evaluated 100 universities based on academic rigor, free speech, and commitment to merit. The University of Florida (UF) topped the list, outranking all Ivy League schools by eliminating its DEI bureaucracy, reinstating standardized test requirements, and establishing the Hamilton School for Classical and Civic Education. 

UF earned a top ranking while charging just $6,400 in annual tuition for in-state students and $30,900 for out-of-state students. By contrast, Ivy League schools averaged a ranking of 42 while charging more than $67,000 per year and maintaining DEI mandates and politically driven policies.

4.  Trump administration moved to expose race-based admissions

In an effort to bring increased transparency to the college admissions process, the administration announced it will require colleges to report race in admissions data. The administration aims to enforce compliance with the Supreme Court’s 2023 ban on race-based affirmative action. The Department of Education plans to collect data from the 2025–2026 academic year and the previous five years, focusing on selective four-year institutions.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the reporting requirement would help expose unlawful practices and ensure that “hard work and accomplishments” matter more than skin color. The administration framed the proposal as a transparency measure designed to restore meritocracy and accountability in higher education.

5.  States move to end DEI requirements at public universities

In 2025, multiple states moved to rein in DEI requirements in public university hiring and admissions practices, targeting mandatory DEI statements and ideological screening practices. 

Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Senate Bill 3, a law barring discrimination or preferential treatment in public institutions, including the use of DEI-based hiring and admissions criteria.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine enacted Senate Bill 1, which dismantled DEI programs, training requirements, and orientations and prohibited the use of DEI statements as a screening tool in faculty hiring. Ohio State University (OSU) reportedly shut down two DEI offices and eliminated related staff positions. 

As of this year, more than 20 states have passed anti-DEI legislation. Lawmakers in states such as Florida, Texas, and Ohio argue that faculty hiring should prioritize academic credentials, teaching ability, and scholarly merit rather than political or ideological alignment.