Colleges that Consider Legacy Status

So-called “legacy applicants,” those who have familial ties to an institution, are still given a measurable edge in the admissions process at many elite U.S. colleges and universities.

Some institutions such as Stanford and UNC only take “primary legacy” status into consideration—where one or both of the applicant’s parents are alumni. Yet, most schools will also grant favor to “secondary legacies” who claim a grandparent, sibling, or other non-parental familial affiliation to the school. Only a handful of elite schools have shed the practice entirely from their admissions formula. These include MIT, Caltech, and Cooper Union. While controversial, being a legacy can provide a massive boost to your odds of acceptance. For example, the admission rate for Harvard legacies is over five times that of non-legacies. College Transitions’ list below of which colleges consider legacy status will inform you as to whether “keeping it in the family” will actually provide you with an advantage at your prospective schools.

*Data collected from institution websites and Common Data Set (CDS) forms.

Table updated November 2023

InstitutionAlumni Relation/Legacy Status
138600Agnes Scott CollegeConsidered
210669Allegheny CollegeConsidered
131159American UniversityAUNot Considered
164465Amherst CollegeNot Considered
197869Appalachian State UniversityApp StateConsidered
104151Arizona State UniversityASUNot Considered
100858Auburn UniversityNot Considered
164580Babson CollegeConsidered
189088Bard CollegeConsidered
189097Barnard CollegeConsidered
160977Bates CollegeConsidered
223232Baylor UniversityConsidered
238333Beloit CollegeConsidered
230816Bennington CollegeNot Considered
164739Bentley UniversityConsidered
156295Berea CollegeNot Considered
164748Berklee College of MusicConsidered
196079Binghamton UniversityNot Considered
142115Boise State UniversityNot Considered
164924Boston CollegeBCImportant
164988Boston UniversityBUConsidered
161004Bowdoin CollegeConsidered
165015Brandeis UniversityConsidered
230038Brigham Young University-ProvoBYUNot Considered
217156Brown UniversityConsidered
217165Bryant UniversityConsidered
211273Bryn Mawr CollegeConsidered
211291Bucknell UniversityConsidered
150163Butler UniversityNot Considered
110404California Institute of TechnologyCaltechNot Considered
111081California Institute of the ArtsNot Considered
110422California Polytechnic State University-San Luis ObispoCal PolyNot Considered
110529California State Polytechnic University-PomonaNot Considered
110556California State University-FresnoNot Considered
110565California State University-FullertonNot Considered
110583California State University-Long BeachNot Considered
110592California State University-Los AngelesNot Considered
173258Carleton CollegeConsidered
211440Carnegie Mellon UniversityCMUNot Considered
201645Case Western Reserve UniversityConsidered
131283Catholic University of AmericaConsidered
156408Centre CollegeConsidered
230852Champlain CollegeConsidered
111948Chapman UniversityNot Considered
112260Claremont McKenna CollegeCMCConsidered
165334Clark UniversityNot Considered
190044Clarkson UniversityConsidered
217882Clemson UniversityConsidered
161086Colby CollegeConsidered
190099Colgate UniversityConsidered
217819College of CharlestonConsidered
160959College of the AtlanticConsidered
166124College of the Holy CrossConsidered
231624College of William and MaryW&MConsidered
126678Colorado CollegeCCConsidered
126775Colorado School of MinesConsidered
126818Colorado State UniversityCSUNot Considered
190150Columbia University in the City of New YorkConsidered
128902Connecticut CollegeConsidered
190372Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and ArtNot Considered
153162Cornell CollegeConsidered
190415Cornell UniversityConsidered
181002Creighton UniversityNot Considered
190512CUNY Bernard M Baruch CollegeNot Considered
190594CUNY Hunter CollegeNot Considered
182670Dartmouth CollegeConsidered
198385Davidson CollegeConsidered
202523Denison UniversityConsidered
144740DePaul UniversityConsidered
150400DePauw UniversityConsidered
212009Dickinson CollegeConsidered
153269Drake UniversityConsidered
184348Drew UniversityConsidered
212054Drexel UniversityConsidered
198419Duke UniversityConsidered
212106Duquesne UniversityConsidered
150455Earlham CollegeNot Considered
198464East Carolina UniversityECUConsidered
133492Eckerd CollegeConsidered
212197Elizabethtown CollegeConsidered
198516Elon UniversityImportant
133553Embry-Riddle Aeronautical UniversityConsidered
165662Emerson CollegeNot Considered
165671Emmanuel CollegeNot Considered
139658Emory UniversityConsidered
129242Fairfield UniversityConsidered
191126Fashion Institute of TechnologyFITConsidered
133669Florida Atlantic UniversityFAUNot Considered
133881Florida Institute of TechnologyConsidered
133951Florida International UniversityFIUConsidered
134079Florida Southern CollegeConsidered
134097Florida State UniversityFSUNot Considered
191241Fordham UniversityConsidered
212577Franklin and Marshall CollegeF&MConsidered
441982Franklin W Olin College of EngineeringConsidered
218070Furman UniversityConsidered
232186George Mason UniversityGMUNot Considered
131469George Washington UniversityGWUConsidered
131496Georgetown UniversityConsidered
139861Georgia College & State UniversityConsidered
139755Georgia Institute of TechnologyGeorgia TechNot Considered
139940Georgia State UniversityNot Considered
212674Gettysburg CollegeConsidered
235316Gonzaga UniversityConsidered
162654Goucher CollegeConsidered
153384Grinnell CollegeConsidered
212805Grove City CollegeConsidered
173647Gustavus Adolphus CollegeConsidered
191515Hamilton CollegeConsidered
166018Hampshire CollegeConsidered
150756Hanover CollegeConsidered
166027Harvard UniversityConsidered
115409Harvey Mudd CollegeHMCConsidered
212911Haverford CollegeConsidered
107080Hendrix CollegeConsidered
170286Hillsdale CollegeConsidered
191630Hobart William Smith CollegesConsidered
191649Hofstra UniversityNot Considered
170301Hope CollegeConsidered
131520Howard UniversityHUConsidered
145725Illinois Institute of TechnologyIITConsidered
145646Illinois Wesleyan UniversityConsidered
151351Indiana University-BloomingtonIUBNot Considered
153603Iowa State UniversityNot Considered
191968Ithaca CollegeConsidered
232423James Madison UniversityJMUConsidered
162928Johns Hopkins UniversityJHUNot Considered
213251Juniata CollegeConsidered
170532Kalamazoo CollegeConsidered
155399Kansas State UniversityNot Considered
203535Kenyon CollegeConsidered
169983Kettering UniversityConsidered
146427Knox CollegeConsidered
213385Lafayette CollegeConsidered
146481Lake Forest CollegeConsidered
239017Lawrence UniversityConsidered
192323Le Moyne CollegeConsidered
213543Lehigh UniversityConsidered
209056Lewis & Clark CollegeConsidered
159391Louisiana State UniversityLSUConsidered
117946Loyola Marymount UniversityLMUConsidered
146719Loyola University ChicagoLUCNot Considered
163046Loyola University MarylandConsidered
173902Macalester CollegeConsidered
161299Maine Maritime AcademyNot Considered
192819Marist CollegeNot Considered
239105Marquette UniversityConsidered
166683Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyMITNot Considered
140447Mercer UniversityNot Considered
204024Miami University-OxfordConsidered
171100Michigan State UniversityMSUConsidered
171128Michigan Technological UniversityNot Considered
230959Middlebury CollegeConsidered
239318Milwaukee School of EngineeringMSOENot Considered
176080Mississippi State UniversityNot Considered
178411Missouri University of Science and TechnologyMUSTNot Considered
180461Montana State UniversityNot Considered
140553Morehouse CollegeConsidered
166939Mount Holyoke CollegeMHCConsidered
214175Muhlenberg CollegeConsidered
262129New College of FloridaConsidered
185828New Jersey Institute of TechnologyNJITConsidered
187967New Mexico Institute of Mining and TechnologyNMITNot Considered
193900New York UniversityNYUConsidered
199193North Carolina State UniversityNC StateConsidered
167358Northeastern UniversityNot Considered
147767Northwestern UniversityConsidered
204501Oberlin CollegeImportant
120254Occidental CollegeOxyConsidered
204796Ohio State UniversityOSUNot Considered
204857Ohio UniversityOUConsidered
204909Ohio Wesleyan UniversityConsidered
209542Oregon State UniversityOSUNot Considered
214777Pennsylvania State UniversityPSU; Penn StateConsidered
121150Pepperdine UniversityConsidered
121257Pitzer CollegeNot Considered
121345Pomona CollegeNot Considered
194578Pratt Institute-MainNot Considered
186131Princeton UniversityConsidered
217402Providence CollegeConsidered
243780Purdue University-Main CampusNot Considered
130226Quinnipiac UniversityNot Considered
186201Ramapo College of New JerseyConsidered
209922Reed CollegeConsidered
194824Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteRPIConsidered
217493Rhode Island School of DesignRISDConsidered
221351Rhodes CollegeConsidered
227757Rice UniversityConsidered
195003Rochester Institute of TechnologyRITConsidered
136950Rollins CollegeConsidered
152318Rose-Hulman Institute of TechnologyRHITConsidered
184782Rowan UniversityNot Considered
186371Rutgers University-CamdenNot Considered
186380Rutgers University-New BrunswickRUNot Considered
186399Rutgers University-NewarkNot Considered
183239Saint Anselm CollegeConsidered
179159Saint Louis UniversitySLUNot Considered
231059Saint Michael's CollegeConsidered
122409San Diego State UniversitySDSUNot Considered
122755San Jose State UniversitySJSUNot Considered
122931Santa Clara UniversitySCUConsidered
195304Sarah Lawrence CollegeSLCNot Considered
123165Scripps CollegeConsidered
236595Seattle UniversityConsidered
195474Siena CollegeConsidered
167783Simmons UniversityNot Considered
195526Skidmore CollegeConsidered
167835Smith CollegeConsidered
399911Soka University of AmericaNot Reported
228246Southern Methodist UniversitySMUConsidered
228343Southwestern UniversityImportant
195216St Lawrence UniversitySLUConsidered
174844St Olaf CollegeConsidered
163976St. John's CollegeNot Considered
245652St. John's CollegeNot Considered
163912St. Mary's College of MarylandConsidered
243744Stanford UniversityConsidered
196176State University of New York at New PaltzNot Considered
137546Stetson UniversityConsidered
186867Stevens Institute of TechnologyConsidered
167996Stonehill CollegeConsidered
196097Stony Brook UniversityConsidered
196219SUNY at Purchase CollegeNot Considered
196167SUNY College at GeneseoConsidered
196103SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestryConsidered
216287Swarthmore CollegeConsidered
196413Syracuse UniversityConsidered
216339Temple UniversityConsidered
228723Texas A & M University-College StationNot Considered
228875Texas Christian UniversityTCUConsidered
229115Texas Tech UniversityNot Considered
187134The College of New JerseyTCNJConsidered
206589The College of WoosterNot Considered
193654The New SchoolNot Considered
100751The University of AlabamaConsidered
180489The University of MontanaNot Considered
137847The University of TampaConsidered
221759The University of Tennessee-KnoxvilleUTKNot Considered
228778The University of Texas at AustinUT AustinNot Considered
228787The University of Texas at DallasUTD; UT DallasNot Considered
221519The University of the SouthConsidered
124292Thomas Aquinas CollegeNot Considered
216366Thomas Jefferson UniversityNot Reported
164076Towson UniversityConsidered
130590Trinity CollegeConsidered
229267Trinity UniversityConsidered
178615Truman State UniversityConsidered
168148Tufts UniversityConsidered
160755Tulane University of LouisianaConsidered
196866Union CollegeConsidered
128328United States Air Force AcademyUSAFAConsidered
130624United States Coast Guard AcademyUSCGAConsidered
197027United States Merchant Marine AcademyNot Considered
197036United States Military AcademyUSMANot Considered
164155United States Naval AcademyConsidered
196088University at BuffaloNot Considered
100663University of Alabama at BirminghamUABNot Considered
104179University of ArizonaUANot Considered
106397University of ArkansasConsidered
110635University of California-BerkeleyUCB: UC BerkeleyNot Considered
110644University of California-DavisUCD; UC DavisNot Considered
110653University of California-IrvineUCI; UC IrvineNot Considered
110662University of California-Los AngelesUCLANot Considered
445188University of California-MercedUC MercedNot Considered
110671University of California-RiversideUCR; UC RiversideNot Considered
110680University of California-San DiegoUCSD; UC San DiegoNot Considered
110705University of California-Santa BarbaraUCSB; UC Santa BarbaraNot Considered
110714University of California-Santa CruzUCSC; UC Santa CruzNot Considered
132903University of Central FloridaUCFConsidered
144050University of ChicagoUChicagoConsidered
201885University of Cincinnati-Main CampusNot Considered
126614University of Colorado BoulderNot Considered
129020University of ConnecticutUConnNot Considered
224323University of DallasConsidered
130943University of DelawareUDConsidered
127060University of DenverUDConsidered
134130University of FloridaUFNot Considered
139959University of GeorgiaUGANot Considered
225511University of HoustonNot Considered
142285University of IdahoNot Considered
145600University of Illinois at ChicagoUICNot Considered
145637University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUIUCNot Considered
153658University of IowaNot Considered
155317University of KansasKUNot Considered
157085University of KentuckyUKNot Considered
157289University of LouisvilleNot Considered
161253University of MaineNot Considered
232681University of Mary WashingtonConsidered
163268University of Maryland-Baltimore CountyUMBCNot Considered
163286University of Maryland-College ParkUMDNot Considered
166629University of Massachusetts-AmherstUMass AmherstNot Considered
166638University of Massachusetts-BostonUMass BostonNot Considered
166513University of Massachusetts-LowellUMass LowellConsidered
135726University of MiamiUMConsidered
170976University of MichiganUMichNot Considered
174233University of Minnesota-DuluthConsidered
174251University of Minnesota-MorrisNot Considered
174066University of Minnesota-Twin CitiesUMNConsidered
176017University of MississippiOle MissNot Considered
178396University of Missouri-ColumbiaMizzouNot Considered
181464University of Nebraska-LincolnUNLNot Considered
182281University of Nevada-Las VegasUNLVNot Considered
182290University of Nevada-RenoUNRNot Considered
183044University of New HampshireUNHConsidered
199111University of North Carolina at AshevilleUNC AshevilleConsidered
199120University of North Carolina at Chapel HillUNC Chapel HillConsidered
199139University of North Carolina at CharlotteUNCC; UNC CharlotteNot Considered
199148University of North Carolina at GreensboroUNCG; UNC GreensboroNot Considered
199218University of North Carolina WilmingtonUNC WilmingtonConsidered
152080University of Notre DameUNDConsidered
207500University of OklahomaOUConsidered
209551University of OregonNot Considered
215062University of PennsylvaniaUPennConsidered
215293University of PittsburghNot Considered
209825University of PortlandConsidered
236328University of Puget SoundImportant
121691University of RedlandsConsidered
217484University of Rhode IslandURIConsidered
233374University of RichmondConsidered
195030University of RochesterConsidered
122436University of San DiegoUSDNot Considered
122612University of San FranciscoUSFConsidered
215929University of ScrantonConsidered
218663University of South CarolinaUSCNot Considered
137351University of South FloridaUSFNot Considered
123961University of Southern CaliforniaUSCConsidered
174914University of St ThomasConsidered
231174University of VermontUVMConsidered
234076University of VirginiaUVAConsidered
377555University of Washington-Bothell CampusNot Considered
236948University of Washington-SeattleUWNot Considered
240444University of Wisconsin-MadisonUW-MadisonNot Considered
216524Ursinus CollegeConsidered
221999Vanderbilt UniversityVandyConsidered
197133Vassar CollegeConsidered
216597Villanova UniversityConsidered
234030Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCUNot Considered
233921Virginia TechVirginia TechConsidered
152673Wabash CollegeConsidered
199847Wake Forest UniversityConsidered
234207Washington and Lee UniversityW&L; WLUConsidered
164216Washington CollegeConsidered
236939Washington State UniversityWSUNot Considered
179867Washington University in St LouisWashUConsidered
168218Wellesley CollegeConsidered
168227Wentworth Institute of TechnologyConsidered
130697Wesleyan UniversityConsidered
216764West Chester University of PennsylvaniaNot Considered
238032West Virginia UniversityWVUNot Considered
125727Westmont CollegeNot Considered
149781Wheaton CollegeConsidered
168281Wheaton CollegeConsidered
237057Whitman CollegeConsidered
125763Whittier CollegeConsidered
210401Willamette UniversityConsidered
168342Williams CollegeConsidered
218973Wofford CollegeConsidered
168421Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWPIConsidered
130794Yale UniversityConsidered
197708Yeshiva UniversityYUNot Considered

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