California bans legacy admissions in all colleges, universities

California has become the fourth state to ban legacy admissions in the college application process, a practice that has long been criticized as favoring white or wealthy students based on their familial alumni connections.

"In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill, and hard work," Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a Monday 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 affects private and nonprofit universities. The University of California system eliminated legacy admission preferences in 1998, according to Newsom's office.