Places of education are often considered one of the most common settings in which racial discrimination occurs. Racial discrimination in schools refers to to unfair actions that are taken against individuals, usually students, based on their race. Discrimination of this type can occur in almost any educational activity, ranging from admission to discipline. At a secondary school, an athletics coach could discriminate by treating his players unfairly based on their race. A college might racially discriminate by giving favor to a white student during admission, thereby denying a black student of equal qualifications.

In any school that receives federal assistance, legislation known as Title VI prohibits actions of racial discrimination such as these ones from taking place. The laws of Title VI are enforced by The US Department of Education's civil Rights Office, which oversees the actions of schools to make sure excellence in education can be pursued equally. In cases of racial discrimination, schools may be subject to penalty they are, in fact, found guilty of unlawful discrimination.