Liberal faculty members outnumber their conservative colleagues on college campuses by a ratio of nearly 7-to-1 nationwide, according to a report released by the America First Policy Institute (AFPI). This marks a substantial shift from 1969, when the ratio was less than 2-to-1.
Michael Shires, Ph.D., vice chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at AFPI, stated that the report documents how far academic institutions have moved from their primary purpose of open inquiry. He criticized universities for what he described as a "weaponiz[ation] of academic freedom to purge the views it dislikes," asserting that this action forfeits the principle itself and that reviving viewpoint diversity would be a restoration, not an attack, on academic freedom.
The AFPI report indicates that this left-wing dominance has deeper implications for academic freedom and hiring practices. According to the findings, 40% of surveyed faculty members would oppose hiring a Trump supporter, and over 80% of Ph.D. students acknowledged discriminating against conservative job candidates.
"At many elite universities, registered Republican faculty are now more underrepresented than African American faculty," the report states. It also notes that more than half of conservative professors report hiding their political views to protect their employment.
These findings emerge amid broader efforts by the Trump administration to address issues such as viewpoint discrimination, antisemitism, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within higher education. The Department of Education previously identified civil discourse as a key area of "national need," allocating $60 million in federal grants for fiscal year 2025 specifically for "Promoting Civil Discourse on College and University Campuses."
Colleges and universities receiving these FIPSE grants are tasked with supporting initiatives aimed at fostering respectful deliberation and debate, counteracting what the program describes as censorship, harassment, and violent unrest that have eroded free expression.
AFPI advocates for significant policy interventions to dismantle the current ideological monopoly within academia, pushing back against arguments that federal involvement infringes upon university independence. The institute contends that prioritizing institutional autonomy over individual academic freedom allows a means to obstruct higher education's ends.
The report concludes by recommending that education reformers prioritize the public interest in higher education by defending individual academic freedom and supporting efforts to restore viewpoint diversity and equal treatment for scholars and students with minority viewpoints.