Some universities in the U.S. have improved their protection of Jewish students, while many still fail to do so, according to a U.S. Campus Report Card by the Anti-Defamation League, published on Monday. The report also shows that almost half of the institutions examined in 2024 showed an improvement in their indicators. The report shows that 36% of the academic institutions examined in the U.S. received a good grade of A or B, an increase from 23.5% last year. On the other hand, 9.6% of the institutions received an F rating.
The updated index of how U.S. colleges and universities are dealing with antisemitism examined 135 institutions – 50 more than last year – using 30 evaluation criteria, giving them grades from A (best) to F (worst). Columbia University, where anti-Israel protests have been held since October 7, 2023, remained at a D rating.
Anti-Israel outburst in class at Columbia University
(Photo: Columbia Jewish & Israeli Students)
The data shows that 45% of previously ranked institutions improved their rankings, while only 9% experienced a decline in ranking. Among the notable changes: CUNY Queens College, Georgetown University, Harvard University, Michigan State University, SUNY Purchase College, SUNY Rockland College, Tufts University, the University of Michigan, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Vanderbilt University all rose by two grades.
The outstanding institutions (A rating) are: Brandeis University, CUNY Queens College, CUNY Brooklyn College, Elon University, Florida International University, University of Alabama, University of Miami, and Vanderbilt University.
The institutions that received a failing grade (F rating) are: California Polytechnic State University, DePaul University, Evergreen State College, Haverford College, Loyola University New Orleans, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Portland State University, Scripps College, The New School, University of California at Santa Barbara, University of Illinois at Chicago, and University of Minnesota.
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Pro-Palestinian encampment at Columbia University
(Photo: Stephanie Keith/Getty Images)
“I said it last year and I’ll say it again: every single campus should get an ‘A’, this isn’t a high bar – this should be the standard,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “While many campuses have improved in ways that are encouraging and commendable, Jewish students still do not feel safe or included on too many campuses. The progress we’ve seen is evidence that change is possible – all university leaders should focus on addressing these very real challenges with real action.”
The report found that more than 50% of institutions surveyed in 2024 made significant policy changes in response to the rise in antisemitism on campuses, with nearly all updating their protest policies. Universities that strengthened and consistently enforced policies, mandated antisemitism training, and improved bias reporting processes showed the most progress.
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“The improvement on campus is largely due to new administrative initiatives implemented in response to the campus antisemitism crisis,” said Shira Goodman, ADL vice president of Advocacy. “We’re glad that improving the campus climate for Jewish students was a priority for many of these schools, and we hope all colleges and universities understand the importance of developing and enforcing strong policies and procedures to create a safe and welcoming environment for Jewish students and all students.”
A recent survey by the Anti-Defamation League, conducted in collaboration with other organizations, found that 83% of Jewish students on U.S. campuses have experienced or witnessed antisemitism since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and that 66% of Jewish students are not confident in their university's ability to prevent antisemitic incidents.
The Campus Antisemitism Report Card is a project of the ADL Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education (CCAE) and the recently launched Ratings and Assessments Institute (RAI).