California bans legacy, donor admissions in all colleges and universities

California has banned legacy and donor preferences in the admissions process of private colleges and universities. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed AB 1780 into law on Monday, asserting that merit should drive educational opportunities rather than family connections or wealth.

About the ban: The new law, which takes effect on Sept. 1, 2025, requires private higher education institutions to submit annual compliance reports to the California Legislature and the Department of Justice. “In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill and hard work. The California Dream shouldn’t be accessible to just a lucky few,” Newsom said. Assemblymember Phil Ting, the bill’s author, echoed the sentiment, saying, “If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field… 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.” Institutions like Santa Clara University and Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd colleges reportedly currently practice legacy admissions.
Why this matters: Legacy and donor preferences have been excluded from the admissions process of public universities in California for decades. AB 1780 responds to growing concerns about admissions biases after the Supreme Court restricted race-based affirmative action last summer. Legacy admissions have been criticized for favoring affluent and predominantly white applicants, perpetuating inequalities in higher education. A 2022 study published in the American Sociological Review revealed that legacy applicants were admitted at rates significantly higher than their non-legacy peers, despite similar qualifications. Although the law lacks specific penalties for violations, the new law represents a critical shift in how admissions are approached in California, making it the fifth state to enact such a ban, following Colorado, Maryland, Virginia and Illinois.

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