California governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Monday that prohibits private colleges and universities from considering legacy preferences when evaluating applicants. The new law, effective in the fall of 2025, impacts some of the country’s most renowned institutions, such as Stanford University and the University of Southern California.
The legislation addresses growing concerns about equity in college admissions, particularly following a Supreme Court decision last summer that banned race-based considerations in the admissions process.The ruling shed light on how legacy status—an applicant’s familial connections to alumni—has influenced admissions decisions at elite schools.
Assembly member Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat and the bill’s author, highlighted the importance of creating a level playing field in higher education, saying, “If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field.”
By enacting this legislation, California joins Maryland as the only states to ban legacy admissions at private, non-profit universities. Other states, such as Illinois, Colorado, and Virginia, have implemented similar prohibitions, but only for public universities, the Guardian reported.
To ensure adherence to the new law, private colleges and universities in California will be required to submit yearly reports demonstrating compliance. This oversight measure aims to ensure transparency and accountability within admissions processes as institutions adapt to the new legal requirements.
California’s legislation aligns with public opinion, as evidenced by a Pew Research study from April 2022, which revealed that 75% of Americans believe a student’s relationship to an alumnus should not influence admissions decisions.