You just graduated High School and now you’re headed for University — congratulations — you made it. Sure, you’ve looked at the news, and what with all that’s supposedly going on in the academic world these days, you might be wondering about just how you might be able cope with all of the distraction, noise and nonsense.
If you’re a conservative kid, hitting our modern left-leaning Universities can appear to be somewhat of a daunting task. Not to worry though because nothing is as it seems. Education isn’t as static as most might have you believe. You might be surprised to learn that campus life can be a total delight even in spite of what the nightly news tells you.
Here’s bit of advice for kids that are trying to navigate the busy world of University life.
If you’re a student with differing views (e.g., conservative) facing ideologically left-leaning instructors (or vice versa), you would do well to focus on academic excellence and strategic engagement rather than confrontation.
Tips for Surviving University Life
Prioritize strong academic performance:
Deliver high-quality work on time to demonstrate respect and capability, making it harder for bias to affect grades. This builds credibility and can even win over your instructors.
Engage respectfully and use evidence:
In discussions, present your views with solid facts, logic, and a positive attitude. Incorporate humor to diffuse tension, and frame arguments as truth-seeking rather than combative. Avoid emotional outbursts — aim to persuade through debate.
Choose courses and majors strategically:
If possible, avoid classes with known radical biases by researching instructors (e.g., via RateMyProfessors or syllabi). Opt for fields like economics, business, or STEM where conservative perspectives are more tolerated or ideas are evaluated objectively.
Don’t isolate yourself:
Interact with diverse peers and faculty to broaden your understanding — exposure to opposing views can strengthen your own. Join conservative student groups for support, but avoid echo chambers.
Document potential bias and know your rights:
If you suspect unfair grading or hostility, keep records of assignments and feedback. Use university policies on free speech or appeal processes if needed, but only as a last resort — most issues resolve through dialogue.
Stay open to learning:
Some instructors note that “liberal” exposure comes more from peers than faculty. Use the experience to refine your beliefs without compromising them.
Overall, campuses lean left, with surveys showing faculty Democrats outnumbering Republicans significantly, but survival comes from skill, not ideology clashes.
Many of us already know that even a thin pancake has two sides. It’s a fact of life that there are always going to be two sides to any story and whether you like it or not, you’re very likely on one side or the other.
In my own experience (1979), college was somewhat quirky but manageable. I’ve often found myself saying that things have changed over the years — things were different back in the day — but were they? Really?
People haven’t really changed that much at all:
If I looked back hard enough, I could probably see various forms of bias — even clear back when.
The biases of today aren’t really that different from the biases of yesteryear except that today, these biases are broadcast every night on the national news whereas biases from the 70’s weren’t. Though they be the same, biases weren’t the thing then like they are now.
These days, and in light of just how far off the rails we’ve gone, academic bias often manifests itself in political contexts, particularly in higher education where surveys show faculty lean left, with liberals outnumbering conservatives significantly (e.g., 72% of faculty identifying as liberal). It might be important to note that you’re going to school to become an engineer, not a politician, so all of the ideological B.S. on campus doesn’t really concern you.
Here are some specific examples (of bias) drawn from studies, surveys, and anecdotes, that focus on mostly the political biases we find today in our institutions of higher learning.
(Note: While liberal bias against conservatives is more commonly reported in research, there are counter-examples of discrimination against left-leaning views as well.)
Bias Against Conservatives
Hiring and Promotion Discrimination:
In social sciences and humanities, 15% of political scientists and 24% of philosophy instructors admitted they would discriminate against Republican job applicants. Additionally, 4 in 10 American academics would not hire a known Trump supporter, and 1 in 3 British academics would discriminate against a Brexit supporter.
Self-Censorship and Hostile Environment:
70% of conservative academics in U.S. social sciences/humanities self-censor, with 75% reporting a hostile departmental environment for their beliefs. Over 90% of Trump-supporting academics wouldn’t share views with colleagues, and 85% of Democratic colleagues agree they should stay silent. Only 20% of faculty believe a conservative would fit well in their department.
Discipline and Threats:
1 in 3 conservative graduate students or academics in the U.S. has been disciplined or threatened for their views.
Grant and Research Evaluation:
Between 20% and 50% of academics would mark a right-leaning grant application lower.
Anecdotal Hostility:
At one university, faculty assumed anyone voting for George W. Bush was “evil or stupid.” During a talk by conservative speaker Dinesh D’Souza, he faced belligerent questions and hostility, akin to an evolutionary biologist at a religious college. In another case, a faculty meeting voice vote on an anti-Iraq war resolution passed overwhelmingly, pressuring dissenters.
Bias Against Liberals
In current research the examples below are less prevalent, as academia skews liberal overall, but some studies highlight reverse discrimination.
Discrimination by Conservative Faculty:
Conservative and centrist faculty discriminate against leftists more than liberals do against conservatives, per a study on ideological bias.
Political Litmus Tests:
74% of liberal faculty support mandatory diversity statements in hiring, which 90% of conservative faculty view as political tests that could disadvantage liberals in conservative-leaning departments or institutions.
Historical and Isolated Cases:
During the McCarthy era (1950s), liberal professors were targeted for suspected communist sympathies, leading to firings and blacklisting. More recently, in conservative-dominated fields like business or at religious universities, liberal views on issues like LGBTQ+ rights have led to tenure denials or backlash, though specific modern cases are anecdotal and less documented in broad surveys.
Other Forms of Political Bias
Peer Review and Publishing:
Liberal academics admit to discriminating against conservatives in peer review processes.
Classroom Indoctrination Perceptions:
Conservative students report biased grading or discussions, but research shows ideology has minimal impact on grades. Conversely, accusations of “social justice indoctrination” target liberal professors.
Some of these examples stem from surveys and studies, with bias often self-reported or perceptual. While liberal dominance is well-documented (e.g., Democrats outnumber Republicans 7:1 in social sciences), actual discrimination varies widely by institution and field.
Anecdotal
One day we were in Missoula during Homecoming and we had to wait for the same light to change 3 times on Higgins for all of the kids in the street. I told my son that the kids in college that party all the time are the same kids that will either drop out or will graduate at the bottom of their class. The kids you don’t see out partying every Friday night are the kids that will graduate higher in their class and have a better chance of making a difference because they’re in studying.
I also told my son to stay the course and not to worry about what everybody else is doing — stay focused and be deliberate in the pursuit of your chosen field of study. College by itself is a pretty big deal for most kids so don’t blow it by getting sidetracked by personal opinions and various other failed ideologies.
There are those in this world that seem to think you might be ruined by University, but don’t worry, kids come out of it every day and are none-the-worse for the wear — with degree in hand they know what they can do and who they are — they’re ready to face the world head on.
Our son’s in college now and based on how he’s getting on, I’m sure he’ll be just fine.
sourced — manhattan.institute — aei.org — hechingerreport.org
