The Supreme Court ruled VMI's male-only admissions policy violated the Equal Protection Clause.
On June 26, 1996, the Supreme Court delivered its decision in United States v. Virginia, ruling 7-1 that Virginia Military Institute’s male-only admissions policy was unconstitutional under the Equal Protection Clause. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, authoring the majority decision, asserted that the exclusion was not supported by an 'exceedingly persuasive justification,' thus mandating that VMI change its admissions policy. This decision marked the end of VMI's 157-year history as an exclusively male institution, heralding a significant advance in gender equality by mandating equal access to state-supported educational opportunities. The case has since been celebrated as a hallmark achievement for women’s rights, contributing significantly to the evolving interpretation of the Equal Protection Clause regarding gender-based discrimination.