College enrollment and trust are low, caught in a death spiral of liberal ideology

In the 1960s, activists on campuses often asked, “What if they gave a war and nobody came?” Social justice warriors today may soon be asking the same question, as more and more young people shun higher education.Trust in higher education is plummeting to record lows.According to Gallup, confidence in universities fell to 36% in 2023, down from 57% in 2015.

Not surprisingly, given the growing viewpoint intolerance on our campuses, the largest drops are among Republicans and independents.There has been a precipitous decline in enrollments across the country.From 2010 to 2021, enrollments fell from roughly 18.1 million students to about 15.4 million.There are various contributors to the drop, from falling birthrates to poor economic times.

However, there is also an increasing view of higher education as an academic echo chamber for far-left agendas.For many, there is little appeal in going to campuses where you are expected to self-censor and professors reject your values as part of their lesson plans.That fear is magnified by surveys showing that many departments have purged their ranks of Republicans, conservatives and libertarians.In my new book “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” I discussed the intolerance in higher education and surveys showing that many departments no longer have a single Republican as faculties replicate their own views and values.One survey (based on self-reporting) found that only 9% of law professors identified as conservative.The focus at many schools has shifted to degrees in activism, while denouncing math, statistics, the classics, and even meritocracy as examples of white privilege.There is an academic echo chamber that controls publications, speaking opportunities, and advancement with like-minded ideologues.

As that circle intensifies, it becomes harder and harder for opposing voices to break through.We have seen the same perverse incentive in the media, where outlets are seeing plumme...