Generation Lab Poll: Legacy Admissions Are Unfair

Three out of four young Americans said it is unfair for universities to give consideration to whether an applicant is directly related to an alumnus when making decisions on admissions, according to a poll by Generation Lab provided exclusively to Axios on Tuesday.

The fairness of the practice, called legacy admissions, has particularly become an issue across the United States following last month’s Supreme Court ruling that ended affirmative action.

When asked whether it is fair for college admissions to consider an applicant’s legacy status, 75% said it was probably or definitely not fair, while only 25% said the practice is probably or definitely is fair.

The poll of 783 college students and recent graduates was taken July 12-17. No margin of error was given.

Many say that such legacy admissions favor rich, white students.

Students and recent graduates who were surveyed in the poll are likely to say that giving consideration to whether an applicant is directly related to an alumnus when making decisions on admissions is not fair regardless of their household income.

The figures for household income were based on personal earnings for recent graduates and family income for current students.

In fact, 80% of those with household incomes below $26,000 a year say it’s probably or definitely unfair. That share is 68% when considering students with household incomes of more than $130,000 per year.