California has become the fourth state to ban older college applicants, a practice long criticized as favoring white or wealthy students because of their familial ties to graduates.

“In California, everyone should be able to get ahead through merit, skill and hard work,” Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Monday. “The California Dream should not be available to a lucky few, so we honestly open the doors to higher education wide enough for everyone.”

The decision applies to private and non-profit universities. The University of California system eliminated previous admissions preferences in 1998, according to Newsom’s office.

Senior college admissions has come under increased scrutiny following the Supreme Court’s decision to limit race-based affirmative action programs for colleges and universities in June 2023. California law banned affirmative action in 1996.

“In light of this change, supporters of AB 1780 advocated for the adoption of admissions criteria that would further ensure that factors such as assets or personal relationships do not unduly influence admissions decisions,” the governor’s office said in a statement.

A majority of Americans – 75% of those surveyed in an April 2022 Pew Research study – believe that a student’s relationship with alumni should not influence college admissions.

“AB 1780 seeks to ensure that college admissions decisions are based on merit, not personal affiliation, in an effort to reduce bias in the admissions process at California’s private colleges,” the governor’s office said.

All private colleges and universities in California must now file annual reports to ensure compliance.

Research has shown that existing applicants are accepted at higher rates, but they are not more highly qualified or academically knowledgeable. They are also a less racially diverse population.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Colorado-Boulder analyzed 16 years of data from the anonymous elite university in a September 2022 study published in the journal American Sociological Review.

It found that 34.2% of non-seniority applicants were admitted, compared with 13.9% of non-seniority applicants – most of whom were white and most of whom were wealthier than their counterparts. The study shows that these students come from upper-middle-income zip codes and are less likely to apply for financial aid with their application. The school also recognized them as having high donor potential.

A 2021 analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute found that 53% of selective four-year colleges consider legacy status in their admissions decisions.

California joins Colorado, Maryland and Virginia in banning the practice, strengthening bans that hundreds of colleges have already implemented.