There has been an increase in "major restriction" policies at public universities over recent decades. Major restrictions limit students' access to specific academic majors based on their GPAs, past academic performance, and history of extracurricular
participation. Restricted majors are typically the ones that lead to more lucrative job prospects and economic opportunities.
Researchers at the University of California conducted a quantitative study to examine the causal relationship between stratification and major restriction policies implemented
by four research universities in California: the University of California campuses at Berkeley, Davis, Santa Barbara, and Santa Cruz.
The study's authors utilized a sample of 900,000 undergraduate students who first enrolled at each of four University of California campuses from the UC ClioMetric History Project.
The data set spans almost 50 years, covering student enrollment information from 1975 to 2018.
The study's findings suggest that major restrictions disproportionately lead underrepresented students (Black, Hispanic, and Native American students) away from declaring their intended major and instead toward less-lucrative fields. Other key findings
from the study include:
Restrictions reduce the number of students who intend to declare restricted majors in their first academic term.
Underrepresented students were twice as likely to exit a major as a result of the restriction than non-underrepresented students.
Freshmen students who submitted standardized test scores with their undergraduate applications and attained restricted majors had a higher average SAT score.
Inadequate pre-college academic opportunity and preparedness impact whether or not a student can access a restricted major.
The study results imply that major restrictions drive ethnic stratification within public institutions. The authors of the study also argue that major restrictions are likely to exacerbate equity gaps in the labor market and wage disparities among different
racial and ethnic groups.
Given these findings, stakeholders should (re)consider how major restrictions widen equity gaps in employment, wage, and labor market outcomes for racially-minoritized student groups. There is a need for more equitable and transparent policies and practices
regarding major restrictions that ensure students will receive equal opportunity and access to majors that lead them toward economic success and social mobility.
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