The 25 Most Conservative Colleges In America

College campuses have long been a hotbed of fierce political debate in the U.S., as young adults come across new ideas and viewpoints while attending school. Amid an increasingly polarized American political climate, 73% of Republicans and those who lean conservative believe higher education is going in the wrong direction, according to a Pew Research Center poll. The vast majority of those say professors bringing their ideology into classrooms is a major reason why.

Despite this perception, there are still plenty of American colleges and universities that are much more conservative on the political spectrum. There are dozens of schools in which most students report that their beliefs and the beliefs of the other students around them are very likely to lean to the right.

To determine the 25 most conservative colleges in America, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from education data platform Niche’s “2022 Most Conservative Colleges in America” list. Niche’s ranking is based on student surveys about both personal political leanings as well as opinions about the political leanings of other students.

Many of America’s most conservative colleges have several characteristics in common. Most are religious colleges, with 20 of the top 25 either non-denominational Christian, affiliated with a specific Christian denomination, or Mormon schools. This does not include Southern Methodist University, which recently won a ruling to separate itself from a branch of the United Methodist Church, but the ruling is being appealed.

College campuses often share the political leanings of their surrounding communities, and these conservative schools are no exception. The 25 most conservative colleges are located in 18 different states, a dozen of which were won by Republican Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election. Texas, South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Utah are the only states with multiple colleges on this list.

At 15 of the 25 most conservative colleges, business, management, marketing, and related fields are the most popular majors. This may not necessarily be related to political ideology, as business is the nation’s most commonly-earned degree field. Studying business is enticing to many students, as it can help graduates obtain a high-paying job right out of college. These are the college majors that pay off the most.

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