Which selective colleges still consider legacy status?
Of selective colleges that reported on legacy, how many say it's considered in admissions, from IPEDS.
By Dreamschool Research · October 30, 2026
Among the 101 four-year colleges that admit fewer than 30% of applicants and reported on legacy status to the federal government, 60 said legacy status is considered in admissions (Fall 2023). That’s 59% of them.
These are the most selective colleges in that group:
| College | Location | Admission rate | Legacy status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stanford University | Stanford, CA | 3.6% | Considered |
| Harvard University | Cambridge, MA | 3.7% | Considered |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | 3.9% | Considered |
| Columbia University in the City of New York | New York, NY | 4% | Considered |
| University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 4.5% | Considered |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | 4.6% | Considered |
| Northeastern University | Boston, MA | 5.2% | Considered |
| Brown University | Providence, RI | 5.4% | Considered |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | 5.4% | Considered |
| University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, PA | 5.4% | Considered |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | 5.7% | Considered |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, TN | 5.9% | Considered |
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick, ME | 7.1% | Considered |
| Colby College | Waterville, ME | 7.1% | Considered |
| Swarthmore College | Swarthmore, PA | 7.5% | Considered |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 7.7% | Considered |
| Rice University | Houston, TX | 8% | Considered |
| Williams College | Williamstown, MA | 8.3% | Considered |
| Barnard College | New York, NY | 8.8% | Considered |
| Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | 8.8% | Considered |
| United States Naval Academy | Annapolis, MD | 9.3% | Considered |
| Claremont McKenna College | Claremont, CA | 9.6% | Considered |
| University of Southern California | Los Angeles, CA | 9.8% | Considered |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | 11% | Considered |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury, VT | 11% | Considered |
| University of Notre Dame | Notre Dame, IN | 11% | Considered |
| Tufts University | Medford, MA | 12% | Considered |
| Washington University in St Louis | St. Louis, MO | 12% | Considered |
| Haverford College | Haverford, PA | 12% | Considered |
| Harvey Mudd College | Claremont, CA | 13% | Considered |
| Georgetown University | Washington, DC | 13% | Considered |
| Bates College | Lewiston, ME | 13% | Considered |
| Hamilton College | Clinton, NY | 14% | Considered |
| Colgate University | Hamilton, NY | 14% | Considered |
| Tulane University of Louisiana | New Orleans, LA | 14% | Considered |
| Washington and Lee University | Lexington, VA | 14% | Considered |
| Wellesley College | Wellesley, MA | 14% | Considered |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell, IA | 14% | Considered |
| University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Chapel Hill, NC | 15% | Considered |
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA | 16% | Considered |
Colleges report this to IPEDS each year. Some states have since banned legacy preferences at public colleges, and some colleges have announced changes after the reporting year, so check each college’s current policy.
How we got these numbers
Figures come from the U.S. Department of Education: the College Scorecard (released 2026-10-15) and the IPEDS Admissions survey. Data years:
- Admission factor: Legacy status: Fall 2023, reported in IPEDS ADM2023
- Admission rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
Colleges with fewer than 500 applicants are excluded from selectivity rankings because their admission rates say little about selectivity. Full details on our data page.