List: Top 50 conservative colleges
Researchers from two conservative organizations compiled a list of the top 50 most conservative colleges across the country.
Hillsdale College in Michigan ranked as #1 on the list.
Researchers from the Heartland Institute and Stopping Socialism created a list of the 50 most conservative colleges in the United States. Information such as surveys, cost, and enrollment were all considered when making the list with the goal of preventing indoctrination “with far-left ideas like socialism.”
Factors considered when compiling the list included surveys from Niche.com, which ranks colleges; Young America’s Foundation, Princeton Review, and experts at the Heartland Institute. Researchers also looked at enrollment and admissions information from various schools, and the cost of attendance.
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The top five are as follows:
1.) Hillsdale College
2.) Grove City College
3.) College of the Ozarks
4.) Liberty University
5.) Colorado Christian University
The top conservative college is Hillsdale College in rural Michigan, which states on its website that, “as a matter of principle, Hillsdale doesn’t accept any federal or state subsidy to fund its operations, not even indirectly in the form of federal student aid. Instead, we provide for student aid with our own private funds.”
”Our independence allows us to maintain the integrity of our classical liberal arts curriculum, and to remain true to our founding mission of providing an education to “all persons who wish, irrespective of nationality, color, or sex,” the college continues.
Campus Reform has previously reported on Hillsdale College being ranked one of the top colleges in the world by The Princeton Review. Hillsdale College has also refused demands from the left, dedicating itself to provide the best education regardless of race.
Grove City College in Grove City, Pennsylvania, and College of the Ozarks near Branson, Missouri round out the top three schools on the list.
College of the Ozarks bills itself as a “no-tuition college” and carries the nickname “Hard Work U.” Its website states, “the institution provides the opportunity for full-time students to work at one of more than 100 campus jobs or industries to help pay for part of their cost of education.”
”The remaining portion of the students’ expenses,” the college adds, “is covered through scholarships provided by gifts and contributions from donors who believe in and support the programs and policies of the College. These student work programs and donor contributions allow C of O to operate as a no-tuition college.”
Ranked number 50 on the list is Texas A&M University, preceded by Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California and the University of South Carolina-Columbia.
The bottom five on the list are as follows:
46.) Ave Maria University
47.) LeTourneau University
48.) University of South Carolina- Columbia
49.) Thomas Aquinas College
50.) Texas A&M University
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StoppingSocialism.com also ranks the top conservative websites, and books with the goal of “informing the world about the dangers, including the moral dangers, associated with socialism, communism, and other forms of collectivism.”
“It is our belief that socialism, even when implemented exactly as its adherents want, inevitably leads to economic chaos, rampant poverty, and tyranny,” the mission statement reads.
Campus Reform has also reported on the best and worst colleges for free speech, including where students justify violence to stop speech they don’t like.
Chris Talgo, editor and research fellow at the Heartland Institute, told Campus Reform that conservative colleges are becoming “popular destinations” for students who want an academic experience “rife” with the freedom of expression and other American principles.
”Many conservative colleges are becoming popular destinations for these young people, who prefer an academic environment rife with freedom of speech and a high-quality education experience in which traditional values and our nation’s founding principles are prominently featured,” Talgo said.
Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communication Associate Vice President Kelly Brown told Campus Reform that the university has done well in “multiple” rankings.
”Texas A&M has fared well in multiple rankings over the past year, including being ranked No. 1 in Texas and No. 11 overall by Money magazine as having the best value. The 2020 Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education College Rankings report places A&M at No. 18 among public universities, while Washington Monthly puts A&M as No. 12 overall and No. 4 among public universities in the U.S. We also were recently recognized by The FIRE in their 2020 College Free Speech Rankings,” Brown said.
Campus Reform reached out to StoppingSocialism.com, the Heartland Institute, and Hillsdale College for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @mn_turn
