Legacy Admissions: The Growing Push to Ban Preferences

The college admissions process is undergoing its most significant transformation in decades. Following the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to strike down affirmative action, lawmakers and advocacy groups have turned their attention to another controversial practice: legacy admissions. This system, which gives preferential treatment to the children of alumni, is facing an unprecedented wave of legislative bans at the state level.

The State-Level Crackdown

While the federal government debates the issue, individual states are taking concrete action. The movement to ban legacy preferences has accelerated rapidly since 2021, moving from niche policy discussions to signed laws.

Virginia Leads the Recent Charge

In March 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed legislation that prohibits public universities in the state from offering preferential treatment to applicants based on their relationship to alumni or donors. The bill is particularly significant because it passed unanimously in both the state House and Senate.

This law directly impacts prestigious public institutions like the University of Virginia (UVA) and William & Mary. These schools have historically relied on strong alumni networks for fundraising. However, under the new statute, admissions officers at these public entities can no longer consider lineage as a “tie-breaker” or a merit factor.

California Targets Private Institutions

California took an even more aggressive step in September 2024. Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 1780, a landmark bill that bans legacy preferences at both public and private non-profit universities.

This is a major shift because it regulates private entities like Stanford University and the University of Southern California (USC). Starting in September 2025, private colleges in California that accept state financial aid funding (Cal Grants) cannot give an advantage to children of alumni or donors. Schools that violate this ban will be required to report detailed admissions data to the state legislature and the Department of Justice.

Maryland and Colorado

Maryland joined the movement in April 2024, passing HB 4. This law prohibits public colleges and universities within the state from considering legacy status or donor history during the admissions process.

These states are following the blueprint created by Colorado. In 2021, Colorado became the first state in the nation to ban legacy admissions at public universities. The success of the Colorado ban provided a working model for other states, proving that public universities could maintain high standards and funding levels without relying on hereditary preferences.

Why The Push is Happening Now

The timing of these bans is not a coincidence. The scrutiny on legacy admissions intensified immediately after the Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

Critics and legislators argue that if schools cannot consider race to aid underrepresented groups, they should not be permitted to consider family lineage to aid mostly wealthy, white applicants.

The Fairness Argument

Data suggests that legacy admissions create a significant unearned advantage. A study by Opportunity Insights found that children from the top 1% of the income distribution are more than twice as likely to attend an “Ivy Plus” college (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Duke, and Chicago) as those with comparable test scores from middle-class families.

At some elite institutions, legacy applicants have seen acceptance rates ranging from 30% to 45%, compared to single-digit acceptance rates for the general applicant pool. Legislators view this as an aristocratic system that blocks social mobility.

Voluntary Bans by Universities

Not all changes are coming from state capitals. several prominent universities have voluntarily ended the practice to get ahead of public sentiment.

  • Wesleyan University: President Michael Roth announced the end of legacy preferences in July 2023, stating that the practice was a sign of unearned privilege.
  • Johns Hopkins University: The university dropped legacy preferences quietly in 2014 but announced the results years later. Since the change, the percentage of students eligible for Pell Grants (a proxy for low income) has risen significantly.
  • Amherst College: Amherst eliminated the practice in 2021, focusing instead on recruiting community college transfer students and veterans.
  • MIT: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a long-standing policy of not considering legacy status, famously stating, “I am not my father’s son, I am my own person.”

The Financial Counter-Argument

The primary defense for keeping legacy admissions is financial. Universities argue that admitting children of alumni encourages donations. These donations fund scholarships, new buildings, and research programs that benefit the entire student body.

Opponents of the bans fear that without the incentive of legacy preferences, alumni giving will drop. However, evidence from schools like Johns Hopkins and MIT suggests that endowments can continue to grow even without preferential treatment for donors’ children. Alumni tend to donate based on their overall satisfaction with the university and its reputation, rather than solely on a transactional hope for their child’s admission.

What to Expect in Upcoming Cycles

For students applying in the 2025-2026 cycle and beyond, the landscape is shifting.

  1. Public vs. Private Split: In most states, bans currently apply only to public universities. Private colleges in states other than California are still legally permitted to use legacy preferences, though many are reviewing their policies.
  2. Federal Investigation: The U.S. Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into Harvard’s use of legacy admissions in 2023. Depending on the outcome, this could lead to a federal mandate affecting all schools receiving federal funds.
  3. Increased Transparency: Even in states without bans, schools are under pressure to release data showing exactly how much of a “boost” legacy students receive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the ban on legacy admissions apply to private colleges? Currently, most state bans (like Virginia, Colorado, and Maryland) apply only to public universities. However, California’s new law (AB 1780) specifically includes private universities like Stanford and USC, effective September 2025.

Will being a legacy still help me getting into college? In states without bans, yes. Legacy status remains a factor at many private institutions in the Northeast and Midwest. However, the weight given to this factor is decreasing as public scrutiny rises.

Did the Supreme Court ban legacy admissions? No. The Supreme Court ruling in June 2023 only struck down race-conscious admissions (affirmative action). It did not address legacy admissions, but the ruling sparked the current wave of state-level legislation targeting legacy preferences.

Which states have banned legacy admissions so far? As of late 2024, Colorado, Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, and California have passed legislation restricting or banning legacy preferences at higher education institutions.