From the civil rights movement of the 1960s to the anti-war protests of the 21st century, college students have long been known for their political activism.
In the last year, however, political expression on college campuses has been subject to increased scrutiny.
The Trump administration recently threatened to revoke $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University unless it complied with nine demands – several of which were directly related to student protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the cancellation of federal funding was in response to “continued inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.”
Columbia’s interim president Katrina Armstrong responded by saying the university would “engage in constructive dialogue with our federal regulators, including on the work we are doing to address antisemitism, harassment, and discrimination.”
Shortly after issuing these demands, the federal government arrested and threatened to deport Palestinian Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil – who is a green card holder and married to a pregnant American woman – for his role in the Gaza Solidarity Encampment. In a letter dictated over the phone from a Louisiana detention facility, Khalil described himself as a “political prisoner” and said his arrest was “a direct consequence of exercising [his] right to free speech.”
Many civil rights organizations described Khalil’s detainment as unlawful retribution against an individual exercising his First Amendment rights.
“The First Amendment does not allow the government to retaliate against anyone for their speech,” reads one petition from the American Civil Liberties Union.
“Ripping someone from their home, stripping them of their immigration status, and detaining them solely based on political viewpoint is a clear attempt by President Trump to silence dissent. And that’s patently unconstitutional. Political speech – however controversial some may find it – may never be the basis for punishment, including deportation.”
Despite the changing landscape around political activism, American colleges remain a hotbed of protests, petitions, and campaigns. Each year the Princeton Review ranks the most and least politically active colleges and universities based on student answers to the survey question, “My level of political awareness is: Very High, High, Average, Low, or Very Low.”
Continue reading to see which colleges and universities are the most politically active.
