California just banned legacy preferences in college admissions. It's a growing trend.

California’s Democratic governor approved a new state law on Monday that bars private, nonprofit colleges from using legacy or donor preferences in the admissions process. 

Admissions officers at those schools will no longer be able to consider whether a student’s parents attended or donated money to a university as a factor that could sway their decisions. 

The law, signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, makes California the second state – after Maryland – to ban legacy admissions at private colleges, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Colorado, Virginia and Illinois prohibit the practice at public schools. Maryland’s ban, which Gov. Wes Moore signed in April, applies to both public and private schools. The new California law will impact admissions decisions at some of the nation’s most selective and wealthiest private institutions, including Stanford University and the University of Southern California.