The decision comes amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies and legal scrutiny from Students for Fair Admissions, the conservative group that successfully challenged affirmative action before the Supreme Court.
Landscape provided colleges with socioeconomic data about students' high schools and neighborhoods without using race or ethnicity information. The tool helped admissions officers identify talented students from under-resourced areas who might otherwise be overlooked.
Following the Supreme Court's 2023 ruling that struck down race-based affirmative action, many universities turned to Landscape as a race-neutral way to promote diversity in their incoming classes.
A 2022 Brookings Institute study found the tool marginally increased admissions offers for students from disadvantaged areas, though it didn't significantly boost actual enrollment except when used to shape financial aid offers.
The White House has indicated it will crack down on alleged "hidden racial proxies" that it claims schools use to find minority applicants. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a memo in July warning federal fund recipients to use criteria applied without regard to protected characteristics..
Edward Blum, president of the conservative group Students for Fair Admissions, praised the College Board's move.
