A class-action lawsuit alleges that 32 selective private colleges and related admissions platforms violate federal antitrust law through their use of early decision programs. Plaintiffs argue these policies limit competition and inflate tuition costs by restricting students’ ability to compare financial aid offers. Institutions named include Columbia University, Dartmouth College, and Vanderbilt University. The suit accuses these colleges of coordinating not to recruit students accepted under other schools' early decision agreements, exacerbating inequality in access to higher education.