At least 75% of colleges get antisemitism report grade of 'C' or below, and Ivy League flunks out

Most college campuses are not doing enough to protect Jewish students, with the Anti-Defamation League's latest "Antisemitism Report Card" giving the schools a grade of "C" or below.

The organization published the report card results Tuesday after reviewing 85 schools and assigning them grades "A" through "F." The goal is to give college leaders, parents, students, alumni and other interested parties a way to evaluate antisemitism on campus, the ADL said. 

Only two schools – Brandeis University in Massachusetts and Elon University in North Carolina – received an "A," standing for "Ahead of the Pack." Meanwhile, 17 schools earned a "B" for "Better than Most," 29 schools were given a "C" for "Corrections Needed," 24 schools received a "D" for "Deficient Approach" and 13 schools earned an "F" for "Failing."

"Every campus should get an A – that’s not grade inflation, that’s the minimum that every group on every campus expects," ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said. "Like all students, Jewish students deserve to feel safe and supported on campus."

The campuses that received an "F" grade include Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Michigan State University, Princeton University, SUNY Purchase, SUNY Rockland Community College, Stanford University, Swarthmore College, Tufts University, University of Chicago, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and the University of Virginia. 

Of the eight Ivy League schools, only one – Dartmouth College – received a "C." The rest of the Ivies received grades of "D" or "F." 

While Israel's self-defense in response to the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attacks resulted in an increase in antisemitism on campuses, the report also includes the issues that many schools faced addressing antisemitism even before the attacks.

"It’s time for campuses to step up and protect our children from the hate and antisemitism that has proliferated on college campuses across the country this year," said Emma Law-Oppman, who is involved in a group called Mothers Against College Antisemitism.

The report comes as some schools, such as Harvard University, have seen a decline in applications following high-profile incidents of antisemitism. Additionally, the House Education and Workforce Committee has been investigating multiple schools for their responses to antisemitism on campus.

Some campus leaders are pessimistic about the future of antisemitism at their schools as anti-Israel protests continue more than six months after the Oct. 7 attack. 

"I think there's a real frustration growing among the anti-Israel students that no matter how loud they scream, no matter how nasty they become, no matter how many die-ins they do, it's really not getting them anywhere. And I think it's going to get a lot worse," Cornell University Law Professor William Jacobson told the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show earlier this month when asked about antisemitism on campus. 

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