Circling the Wagons of Privilege: Legacy Admissions in 2026

In almost every sector of post-secondary admissions, the practice of considering legacy status in admissions decisions has declined precipitously. Not even a quarter of four-year colleges consider legacy status today.The exceptions to this broad trend are wealthy, highly selective colleges and universities: a majority of these institutions continue to put a thumb on the scale for the relatives of alumni. 

This report uses the latest federal data to present an overview of the use of legacy preferences at more than 1,500 four-year colleges.

Circling the Wagons.Legacy Report.Class Action.pdf

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