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Category: Project

Description: This article considers the effect of criminal records on college admissions. Most colleges require criminal history information on their applications, suggesting that an applicant’s criminal history could be a significant impediment to accessing the benefits of higher education. We conducted a modified experimental audit to learn whether criminal records affect admissions decisions. Matched same-race pairs of tester applications were sent to a national sample of non-elite four-year colleges, with both testers applying as either Black or White. Within each pair, one application signaled a prior low-level felony conviction when required by the application. Consistent with research on employment, the rejection rate for applicants with felonies was 2 1⁄2 times the rate of our control testers. But unlike the large racial differences observed in employment, we find smaller racial differences in admissions decisions. Nevertheless, Black applicants with criminal records who disclosed their records were particularly penalized at colleges with high campus crime rates. We address implications for reentry, racial progress, and the college “Ban the Box” movement. We suggest colleges consider narrowing the scope of such inquiries or removing the question altogether – particularly when it conflicts with the goals of these institutions, including reducing the underrepresentation of students of color.