Federal Policy Changes and Online Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Content Among US Medical Schools

Recent policy changes have prompted US higher education institutions to reevaluate and, in some cases, dismantle their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

To describe how US medical schools displayed DEI language and DEI-related content on their public-facing websites and how this changed across 3 time points in 2025.

This cohort study reviewed public-facing website content of allopathic and osteopathic medical schools at 3 time points (May, July, and September 2025) to evaluate for the presence, removal, or replacement of DEI language and changes over time.

Primary outcomes included the percentage of publicly accessible DEI website content and instances of its replacement, removal, or pending change. Institutional characteristics (degree type, ownership type, region, Minority Serving Institution status, and location in a state with a ban on DEI offices, programs, or initiatives) and content changes were compared using Pearson χ2 tests.

A total of 195 school websites were reviewed. In May 2025, 109 schools (55.9%) had publicly accessible DEI content on their websites, 11 (5.6%) had replaced it with other names or structures, 69 (35.4%) had removed it, and 6 (3.1%) indicated content as pending. By July, 78 schools (40.0%) had accessible DEI content, 30 schools (15.4%) had replaced it, 78 (40.0%) had removed it, and 9 (4.6%) were pending. In September, 70 schools maintained accessible DEI content (35.8%), 41 schools (21.0%) had replaced it, 71 (36.4%) had removed it, and 13 (6.7%) were pending. A higher proportion of MD-granting schools maintained DEI content (58 of 151 [38.4%] vs 12 of 44 [27.3%]; P = .006). A higher proportion of schools in states with bans on DEI offices, programs, or initiatives removed content vs those located in states without bans (37 of 65 [56.9%] vs 34 of 130 [26.1%]; P < .001).

In this cohort study of US allopathic and osteopathic schools, publicly accessible website DEI content shifted toward replacement of DEI language and removal of content altogether. Our findings suggest that institutional DEI communication was sensitive to legal, political, and regulatory pressures. Ongoing monitoring is needed to understand how US medical schools can best remain accountable to the public and maintain institutional autonomy to build a physician workforce that optimizes health care outcomes for all.