California decided to prohibit legacy admissions in the college application process, a practice long criticized for favoring white or wealthy students based on their familial alumni connections, becoming the fourth US state to do so, ABC News reported.
"In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work," Newsom said in a statement. "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."
The decision comes after the Supreme Court's June 2023 ruling limiting race-based affirmative action programs for colleges and universities. California had previously banned affirmative action in 1996.
"In light of this shift, proponents of AB 1780 advocated for admissions criteria that additionally ensure that factors like wealth or personal relationships do not unduly influence admissions decisions," the governor's office stated. The new law aims to level the playing field for college applicants. "AB 1780 aims to ensure that admissions decisions are based on merit rather than personal connections, reducing biases in the admissions process at private colleges in California," explained the governor's office.
As I think legacy preferences in college admissions are outrageous, I am pleased to see them ended for California colleges. Although I wanted the schools to ban them, not for the state to come in and command their end. Anyway, key language here: https://t.co/kwUdKqUn3L pic.twitter.com/yp4BH7kEJY
— Orin Kerr (@OrinKerr) September 30, 2024
Public opinion appears to align with this move. According to an April 2022 Pew Research study, 75% of Americans surveyed believe a student's relationship to an alumni should not be a factor in admissions.
To ensure compliance, all private colleges and universities in California must now submit an annual report detailing their admissions practices.
