California has become the second state behind Maryland where preferential treatment during the admissions process is no longer be considered at all of its public and private higher education institutions. Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday, Sept. 30 signed AB 1780 by Assemblymember Phil Ting (D-San Francisco), which bans private universities and colleges within the state from favoring applicants whose family members are graduates of or are significant donors to the school. This practice often results in a wealthier, less racially diverse student body, said Ting. UCs, CSUs and community colleges already don’t look at alumni or philanthropic connections.
“If we value diversity in higher education, we must level the playing field. That means making the college application process more fair and equitable. 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 Ting. “I thank the Governor for agreeing with me and supporters of AB 1780 – that every student deserves a fair shot at their dream school.”
In August, Illinois joined Colorado and Virginia in banning legacy admissions, but all three apply their laws only to only public universities and colleges.
Ting’s AB 1780 is in response to last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that bans race considerations in the college admissions process. If race can’t be a factor, Ting and other supporters argued wealth or relationships shouldn’t be considered either. According to reports submitted in June, six California colleges and universities continue to give preferential treatment to candidates related to graduates and donors. For the Fall of 2023, University of Southern California had the most, admitting 1,791 students in that category, while Stanford had 295. Santa Clara University reported far fewer with 38, compared to 1,133 the prior year. Claremont McKenna and Harvey Mudd each had 15 students. Northeastern had less than ten.
“HOPE applauds Governor Newsom for signing AB 1780 into law, taking a bold step to dismantle unfair admission practices,” said Helen Iris Torres, CEO of Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE). “This legislation ensures college admissions prioritize merit and opportunity, not privilege, opening doors for all students to pursue higher education without barriers based on their family background or financial contributions. We thank Assemblymember Ting for his leadership and long-standing commitment to creating a more equitable future for marginalized communities.”
When a school is suspected of violating the ban on legacy and donor admissions, the State Attorney General’s Office can look into it. If found true, AB 1780 requires that college or university to submit more detailed reporting of students given preferential treatment than what is mandated in Ting’s previous bill, AB 697, which expires this year.
A recent study by Opportunities Insights, a group of economists based at Harvard University focusing their research on inequality, found children of the one-percent – defined as parents earning more than $611,000 a year – are more than twice as likely to admit a student from a high-income family when compared to low- or middle-income families with comparable SAT/ACT scores.
AB 1780 takes effect Sept. 1, 2025 with the fairer and more equitable admissions process reflected in the incoming class of Fall 2026 at California’s private colleges and universities.
