I think there are more and less political campuses. But the college years are, for many young people, a time of political coming-of-age and discovery, so the discourse can be intense. I can’t think of a time since the 1960s that colleges in general haven’t been more political than the average American setting. But as far as individual campuses are concerned, I’m sure there are plenty where politics blend into the background.
2 Likes
Wouldn’t the following be less political?
- Commuter schools where students are more likely to do their politics at home?
- Schools with more pre-professionally focused students.
5 Likes
I think that is right. The difficult part is finding it in liberal arts. I would think many students studying political science, history etc. find liberal arts colleges attractive.
sure, but my kid actually wants a real undergrad experience, not a commuter school. Some politics is fine, he just doesn’t want to have every conversation devolve into a political debate. He’s at a high school right now where cancel culture is rampant. He doesn’t want political ideology to be a determining factor in friendships.
1 Like
Commuting to college is the real undergrad experience for probably most college students.
Politics in the US has gotten nastier and more divisive, so this type of thing is reflective of life outside of school.
4 Likes
I think larger southern schools will have an apolitical atmosphere - think Clemson, Auburn, Bama etc. They would also have a traditional big sports college vibe. For smaller schools a Wake Forest or Richmond would probably be more apolitical. If you want the northeast things get trickier - colleges are typically liberal leaning and in liberal states that tends to be amplified.
4 Likes
Perhaps read student newspapers and/or student groups’ social media? I actually think there are a bunch of schools (LACs) that would fit what you are looking for.
4 Likes
High Point, Goucher, Furman, Rhodes, Sewanee, College of Charleston, Rowan, Farleigh Dickinson, Trinity?
Check them out- but I know some avowedly a-political kids who are at (or recent grads) of these places. None of them seemed at all rattled/changed by four years in college; they were into what they were into- dance, sports, literary magazine, etc.
4 Likes
We’re on the same page. While politics discussion may have been commonplace in the 60s and 70s, it wasn’t in the 90s when I went to school either. Sure, we had discussions and arguments about Bill Clinton and Rodney King but it didn’t permeate everything.
Religious schools might really be worth a look. Most that I am aware of don’t REQUIRE any kind of observance. I toured Catholic University of America with my kids and the tourguide went out of her way to say that you don’t have to be Catholic, and you don’t have to go to Mass. They didn’t even take the tour through the Basillica. And CUA is really pretty Catholic. You’d want to visit first to get a sense of the place, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
1 Like
More conservative than Dartmouth… Someone said it earlier: Claremont McKenna sounds made to order given your kid’s specific situation.
2 Likes
Rhodes College.
Even with Foundation curriculum there is a way to stay away from most religious classes. My daughter is taking AMS track to minimize damage 
School is not religious by itself. Many kids are not interested in politics or religion.
For perspective - we are Jewish Conservative, and independent politically.
DD also almost committed to Gettysburg (loved it), and was accepted to Hobart and William Smith mentioned above (we never visited).
2 Likes
He actually may fit like a glove at Rhodes. It has a lot of pre-law people. A bit of hike from NY, but we are going from DC (not close either).
Had this happened a couple of years ago, I think my daughter could have loved this! I wonder how this would fit in with engineering.
One of things my daughter loved about Lyceum Scholars at Clemson was that she could pursue engineering and be a part of Lyceum.
1 Like
I am guessing most kids at most schools are a political. They are there to work, play, play, play and get a job.
There will be some factions.
My son’s school was on the list of most conservative and yet he never saw lgbtq students have issues or any political stuff. I’m sure it’s more like he wasn’t looking for it but I think in few places would it be to the point of being overwhelming.
1 Like
Rhodes is pretty liberal, according to Niche
Apologies for coming into this a little later, I’ve been thinking about it for a few days.
The range of politicization on LAC campuses varies quite significantly, even when the individual politics of the student body members may be quite similar - i.e. Colgate and Swarthmore may have similar ratios of liberal:conservative students but their cultures could be wildly different. I think someone said it above, but if not, I do think the school newspapers are great reference points for what’s actually happening on campus, but otherwise it’s really talking to students. Definitely all the NESCAC and NESCAC-adjacent schools are not the same.
This is the part I’ve been thinking about. With respect (and no assumptions), I’d encourage your son to recognize that while his future campus culture might not be overly political, the individuals he runs into on campus have every right (and good reason) to use “political ideology” to decide who they want to spend time with. As an example, my daughter wanted a relatively apolitical campus (and attends one), but also will choose not to spend time with someone who puts a “from the river to the sea” sticker on their computer, or who supports policies that would restrict her body autonomy. We’ve taught our kids that they don’t get to decide how someone else will choose their friends or that they must ignore your politics in their relationships.
4 Likes
I’ve also been thinking a lot about this thread.
Not wanting to “be political” is a political choice. A choice that should be acknowledged as asking for the status quo to remain unchallenged. Political, through and through.
8 Likes
I don’t know. A lot depends on the details. It’s one thing to demand that the status quo go unchallenged. It’s another to insist on having those discussions 24/7–Over the Cocoa Krispies in the morning, during Calc 1, during intramural soccer, during fraternity rush, at the movies–and turning every interaction into an extended treatise on justice.
Some people err on the side of insisting that such discussions never happen. Others err on the side of never talking about anything else. People actually bury their heads in the sand. Others actually become insufferable.
I do think that different colleges develop different cultures around how to balance these things.
5 Likes
This is really unfair. My daughter specifically looked for a campus that is not known for its political activism. Why? Because we live in Portland and everything is about politics. In 9th grade her friends were picking homecoming dates based on politics, kids were counting the number of activist posts other kids made on Instagram…at 14! By 16 kids were organizing carpools to join the protests in the city, if you didn’t participate you must be a MAGA supporter.
My kid wanted to be a cheerleader, go to prom, concerts, and camping. She’s educated, she has political beliefs and she votes. She does not owe it to anyone to share those beliefs, march for those beliefs or chose her friend group based upon which politicians are appealing to them. She didn’t want to attend a school where that was the norm and we totally endorse that, frankly I’m exhausted by all of it too.
8 Likes