Conservative liberal arts colleges [want "strong academics and not religious"]

College Search & Lists
61

Grinnell is not a good fit whatsoever for a student who found Dartmouth too liberal, in my opinion.

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Was he a first year this fall of 2023 and then withdrew? I am asking does he want to attend school next semester? I’m sure that would be possible at less selective schools but would he rather wait until fall of 2024 to return?

63

I would not put Liberty and BC in the same category. A non-Christian would feel quite comfortable at BC (and I know dozens-- some with other religious faiths and with none) but I can’t imagine a non-Christian finding the environment at Liberty all that welcoming (or even tolerated).

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64

How about Notre Dame? Outstanding academically and a more conservative bent.

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65

Yeah - Grinnell is more like the Brown type.

I am unsure
 is OP looking for socially conservative student body?

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66

One idea is to consider which of the larger southern schools might have an honors program that would accept him as a transfer student: that can give you a smaller-school feel and more academically motivated cohort. FWIW, I wouldn’t assume the teaching caliber at (for example) Alabama Honors is any lower than Dartmouth. The classes may be larger, etc., you need to do some research, but Ivies and the SLACs don’t have a monopoly on gifted educators.

Good luck!

67

Yeah agreed on this. The Lyceum program at Clemson is definitely worth a look. A school within the school, great books, etc.

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68

I’ve received pushback here before for suggesting University of Chicago for conservative students, but it certainly appears on some lists for conservative students (like the FIRE list, I believe), and is historically known for some faculty with a more conservative bent.

Just tossing it out there for consideration.

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69

While it’s not for you, what you describe is Hillsdale.

Leaving Dartmouth - are we sure he can get into top schools ?

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70

If you’re looking for a smaller college that has a more conservative bent amongst its students (per Niche), these are some schools that I would take a look at that all had at least 10 seniors graduating with a degree in philosophy in 2022 (source):

  • Benedictine (KS)
  • Calvin (MI)
  • Furman (SC)
  • U. of Dallas (TX)
  • U. of Scranton (PA )
  • Stetson (FL)
  • Susquehanna (PA )
  • Wabash (IN) - Men’s college
  • Wheaton (IL)
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71

I think that the OP didn’t say his son left Dartmouth for political reasons; he said it was for personal reasons. He chose Dartmouth because it was libertarian.

72

Villanova

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73

Furman has the Tocqueville program, run by Benjamin Storey, a professor who is a protege of Robert George. Society of Tocqueville Fellows | Tocqueville Program | Furman University

Maybe that would suit your son?

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74

What program did the University of Tulsa just launch? You have my interest.

My daughter was accepted into the Lyceum Scholars Program at Clemson, and it was one of the hardest opportunities to turn down. She didn’t end up at Clemson, but I know that she would have thrived in Lyceum.

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75

SMU is in Dallas? My husband went there and we lived there for a while. I don’t remember the school being particularly politically active but I found the area to be conservative and think there would be at the very least an even split if not more to the right. I think any school you identified in Texas would probably fit at least an even split.

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76

apolitical schools are increasingly hard to find. It’s what we’ve been searching for too. I would love something like Hillsdale, in its approach to free speech and rigorous classical education, and don’t mind the religious affiliation, but the conservative political bent is annoying. My son didn’t want to go to school to talk about gun rights and abortion
 But every other LAC is equally bad on the other side with overt wokeness and left leaning political bias. When I was in school, no one talked about politics. It was heaven.

77

You are younger than I am. When I was in college, politics was all anyone talked about. We knew kids from our HS’s with terrible draft lottery numbers- some were in Viet Nam. Some had fled to Canada. Some were conscientious objectors, others were racking up advanced degrees they didn’t need or want to get an education deferral.

How quickly we forget Kent State and the student protests.

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78

Maybe that was more a function of where you went to school, not when. When I was in college (or where I went, rather) in the late '80s and early '90s, the atmosphere was very political (and I loved it).

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79

Jennifer Frey took over their great books honors college.

80

well if kids love politics, they’re in luck now! But for the kids who want an apolitical education, it’s like a unicorn