Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that makes California the latest state to ban legacy and donor admissions in higher education, including at Stanford and USC.

The colleges will still be allowed to admit students with alumni or donor ties, but they’ll no longer be able to grant them preferential treatment.

California has become the second state to prohibit private colleges and universities from giving extra consideration to applicants who are related to alumni or donors. AB1780, signed into law by Gov.

Private, nonprofit colleges in California will be banned from giving preference in the admissions process to applicants related to alumni or donors of the school under a new law signed by Gov.

The change will affect Stanford University, the University of Southern California and other private colleges in the state.

Stanford University stopped short on Monday of pledging to comply with a new California law banning legacy admissions, while other prestigious institutions committed to upholding the newly passed legislation.

California is banning legacy admissions at private colleges and universities, ensuring that some of the country’s most selective schools will not favor applicants with familial or monetary connections to the schools.

Among the class admitted in 2023, Stanford reported 13.6% of first-year students had either legacy or donor ties. The bill will take effect beginning September 2025.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a measure prohibiting alumni and donor children from receiving preferential treatment during the college admissions process, joining a growing campaign to end this practice at private universities.