Seventeen states filed suit against the U.S. Department of Education over a new federal requirement for colleges to submit detailed admissions and applicant data broken down by race and sex, arguing the agency unlawfully expanded reporting and imposed onerous burdens on institutions. Plaintiffs seek to block the expanded IPEDS collection, contending the Education Department did not follow required rulemaking procedures and acted beyond its authority. Separately, a federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration’s demand for seven years of student application race data, granting relief to institutions and amplifying legal uncertainty around federal data collection. The two developments together raise immediate compliance questions for colleges facing tight deadlines and could delay the department’s ability to compile longitudinal admissions metrics intended to monitor post‑Students for Fair Admissions compliance. Universities and systems are assessing costs, staffing needs, and legal risk as litigation proceeds.