Criminal Records and College Admissions: A Surprising Double Standard?

Individuals with criminal records face reduced engagement from college admissions offices. A nationwide US field experiment found these applicants receive about 5 percentage points fewer responses compared to those without records, yet race appears irrelevant to this outcome.

Data & Methods:

• Prospective applicants sent emails requesting information;
• Experimental design randomly assigned fake criminal records or cleared backgrounds;
• Response rates tracked across public and private institutions.

Key Findings:

• Applicants with criminal records got significantly fewer responses (5 pp) from private schools;
• No differential response rates observed between Black applicants vs. White applicants;
• Bias remains even after accounting for selectivity, SES, and school funding;
• Advocate endorsements failed to reduce admissions bias.

Why It Matters:

This research reveals persistent discrimination against formerly incarcerated individuals in the higher education system—discrimination that doesn't appear based on race. The findings suggest private institutions are driving this bias despite no legal basis for such practices.