Name the landmark case that upheld affirmative action in college admissions in 2003.

The landmark case that upheld affirmative action in college admissions in 2003 is Grutter v. Bollinger. This case focused on the University of Michigan Law School's admissions policy, which considered race as one factor among many in a holistic review process. The Supreme Court ruled that the use of affirmative action in this context did not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, thereby confirming that institutions of higher education could consider race as a factor to promote diversity. This decision reinforced the constitutionality of affirmative action policies aimed at increasing minority representation in higher education, marking a significant point in the ongoing debate about race, equity, and opportunity in American society.

In contrast, Bakke v. University of California, while a significant case, was decided in 1978 and established that racial quotas were unconstitutional, but it allowed for race to be a permissible factor in admissions. Fisher v. University of Texas and Gratz v. Bollinger were both later cases addressing affirmative action, with Gratz striking down a specific point-based admissions system for being too mechanical in its consideration of race, but they did not set a precedent specifically upholding the general principles of affirmative action like Grutter did.