Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday to clamp down on legacy admissions in private colleges. If schools don’t comply, they could lose state funding.
California already bans legacy admissions in public schools. The new law will prohibit private schools from considering legacy or donor preference when admitting new students. The practice includes giving students who are related to alumni or donors preferential treatment.
“Hard work, good grades and a well-rounded background should earn you a spot in the incoming class — not the size of the check your family can write or who you’re related to,” said Assembly member Phil Ting, who authored the bill.
The new law also requires private schools to self-report data on future legacy admissions, which the state Department of Justice will post to its website.
If private colleges don’t comply, they could lose state funding through the Cal Grant program.
About 14% of both Stanford and USC’s freshman class in 2022 were legacy admissions, according to state data.
The law will go into effect September 2025.
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