The US Supreme Court has ruled that university and college admissions policies that consider applicants' race are unconstitutional.

The court on Thursday struck down the affirmative action pursued for decades by many universities and colleges to achieve diversity in their student bodies.

The plaintiff had claimed admissions programs at educational institutions, such as Harvard University, have given preferential treatment to Black and Hispanic applicants and discriminated against their Asian and White peers.

The court's judgement overturned its rulings dating back to 1978 that it is constitutional for educational institutions to use race as a factor to consider in their admissions process.