The statue of George Washington outside the University of Texas at Austin Main Building on July 16, 2020.
The group, Students for Fair Admissions, is a nonprofit of "more than 20,000 students, parents and others" who believe that racial classifications and preferences in college admissions are "unfair, unnecessary, and unconstitutional," according to the group's website.
In 2018, about 75 percent of UT-Austin students received automatic admission to the school through the Top 10 Percent Rule, a state law that offers admission to Texas students near the top of their high school class.
The university has factored race and ethnicity into its admissions decisions for the remaining applicants since 2003, when a different U.S. Supreme Court ruling declared race-based affirmative action constitutional.
"The university is reviewing the new lawsuit from (Students for Fair Admissions)," said J.B. Bird, a UT-Austin spokesperson, in a statement.