Research Shows Legacy Admissions Still Prevalent in Higher Ed
Credit: Catherine McQueen / Getty Images- A significant percentage of selective institutions, both public and private, still consider legacy in admissions.
- That includes 15% of selective public institutions and 42% of private, nonprofit institutions.
- The term “selective” in this case applies to all schools without an open admissions policy.
- Researchers found student population disparities between schools with legacy admissions policies and those without.
Even as a growing number of colleges are banning legacy admissions, a new analysis found the practice is still prevalent in higher education.
Legacy admissions gives preferential treatment to children of alumni, a practice that tends to favor white, well-off students. The 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that banned affirmative action renewed the debate over legacy admissions.
A number of schools have ended their legacy admissions practices in recent years.
More than 1,300 institutions reported that they didn’t consider an applicant’s legacy status for admissions during the 2022-2023 academic year, BestColleges previously reported. But a new analysis of data found that many institutions — including public universities — still use legacy as a factor.
An Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) analysis of federal data found a significant percentage of selective institutions, both public and private, still consider legacy in admissions.
| School Type | Percentage of selective four-year institutions considering legacy |
|---|---|
| All selective four-year institutions | 32% |
| Private, nonprofit | 42% |
| Public | 15% |
| For-profit | 12% |
Selective, in this case, means any school without an open admissions policy.
Those figures are sure to change in the coming years. The 2022-2023 data doesn’t yet reflect the number of schools that have dropped legacy admissions since the 2023 Supreme Court ruling. But they do offer an insight into the continued prevalence of legacy in college admissions.