**California Eliminates Legacy Admissions in Higher Education**

California has officially become the fourth state to prohibit legacy admissions—a controversial collegiate practice favoring applicants connected to alumni. This legislative move follows on the heels of the Supreme Court's recent decision to restrict affirmative action measures in June 2023.

Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized the importance of equal opportunities for all students. "In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work," Newsom stated on Monday. "The California Dream shouldn't be accessible to just a lucky few, which is why we're opening the door to higher education wide enough for everyone, fairly."

This new legislation, known as AB 1780, primarily affects private and nonprofit universities. Notably, the University of California system had already done away with legacy-based preferences back in 1998. Newsom’s office noted that such preferences had long been under scrutiny for benefiting white or wealthy students.

The Pew Research study conducted in April 2022 revealed that a substantial majority of Americans—75%—believe that alumni connections should not influence admissions decisions. Advocacy for AB 1780 aimed to align admission criteria with this public sentiment, ensuring that wealth and personal relationships do not skew the process.

Historically, legacy applicants have enjoyed significant advantages in admissions, as demonstrated by a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Colorado-Boulder. Spanning 16 years of data from an unnamed elite university, the study published in the American Sociological Review in September 2022 found that 34.2% of legacy applicants were admitted compared to just 13.9% of non-legacy applicants. These legacy students were predominantly white and wealthier, often coming from higher-income ZIP codes and less likely to require financial aid.

Research by the Institute for Higher Education Policy in 2021 also noted that over half—53%—of selective four-year institutions considered alumni connections in their admission processes. California now aligns with Colorado, Maryland, and Virginia, reinforcing bans on legacy admissions that numerous colleges have already implemented.

To ensure adherence to the new law, all private colleges and universities in California are now required to submit an annual compliance report. This step marks a significant stride toward equity and meritocracy in college admissions across the state.