Elite colleges favor students from ultra rich families, study says

A new study suggests elite colleges have prioritized accepting applicants from ultra wealthy families.

Why it matters: While the Supreme Court struck down race-based admissions, colleges can still give preference to applicants based on legacy status or other factors.

Driving the news: The Opportunity Insights study by a team of Harvard researchers shows that children from families in the top 1% were 34% more likely to be admitted to elite schools than the average applicant.

• Wealthy applicants tended to have higher SAT scores and applied at a higher rate, but the study shows they were still overrepresented in the admitted students pool.
• The New York Times first reported on the findings.

Between the lines: Lower-income students with high test scores were also given some preference, suggesting middle-income students are being left out.