Top 10 Most Politically Conservative Colleges
Article provided by The Princeton Review
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1. Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, Michigan)
Hillsdale's politically engaged students "mostly possess fairly conservative values, and there's even a good deal of libertarians." Adds one student, "They can be a bit dogmatic sometimes." According to the student body, "the largest organizations on campus are College Republicans and Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, followed closely by Praxis (an economics club) and Fairfield Society (a Christian organization)."
Students who considered Hillsdale also looked at Albion College, Calvin College, Hope College, and Kalamazoo College.
2. Grove City College (Grove City, Pennsylvania)
In general, most undergrads at Grove City College are "white, suburban, Christian Republicans." These kids are the ones "who would ask, 'What are hallucinogens?'" one student explains. A prominent group comprises "the normal, Nalgene bottle-carrying, Christian summer camp-working, service-oriented students."
Students who considered Grove City also looked at Geneva College, Juniata College, Lehigh University, and Messiah College.
3. Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah)
From the student body to the "stringent" honor code (which regulates not only academic behavior but also dress, hair length, diet, and sexual activity) to the heavy religious-studies requirement, BYU serves the needs of America's Mormon community first and foremost. Students describe each other as "upstanding" and "extremely friendly"; some, however, warn that "the nonconformist will find a dull social life with difficulty finding someone that will be their friend, regardless of who they are or what they believe."
Students who considered BYU also looked at Brigham Young University-Hawaii, Dartmouth College, Harvard College, and Pepperdine University.
4. United States Air Force Academy (US Air Force Academy, Colorado)
The "straightforward, open-minded, goal-oriented individuals" who populate the USAFA "are teammates. We'd help each other out of trouble in a second. We're that close." Explains one student, "Due to the military stresses placed on them in the first year, they make great friends much quicker than I would imagine civilian students would in their freshman year." Many cadets reported that "attitudes here have become more serious since September 11. There is a sense of purpose and drive, and a clear goal" shared by all.
Students who considered the USAFA also looked at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, United States Naval Academy, University of Colorado-Boulder, and Yale University.
5. Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, Virginia)
The students of Virginia's all-male Hampden-Sydney College, founded in 1775, continue the Old South's traditions. For the right type of student--namely, one comfortable in such an arguably archaic atmosphere--H-SC is a slice of southern heaven on Earth. Students are overwhelmingly "Christian in their beliefs" and generally quite conservative; warns one, "Only one group is isolated by the students: homosexuals. Not a good school for gay men at all."
Students who considered Hampden-Sydney also looked at Furman University, James Madison University, Randolph-Macon College, and University of Richmond.
6. College of the Ozarks (Point Lookout, Missouri)
The "mostly conservative" students of College of the Ozarks pride themselves on their "outstanding moral values" (which lead at least a few to observe that "some here are really 'holier than thou'"). Students agree that their classmates are both affable and genuinely accommodating; writes one, "People who visit here comment on how friendly and helpful we are." Although they hail from far and wide, most have roots in rural America.
Students who considered Ozarks also looked at Baylor University, DePaul University, Samford University, and Southwest Missouri State University.
7. United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, Maryland)
Future naval and marine officers at the USNA quickly find that amid this "type A," "moral, intelligent," "goal-oriented," and "aloof" student body, "liberal opinions are hard to find." One student observes a split between "those who buy into the indoctrination system and those who rebel." A common refrain is that the academy is "a good place to be from but not to be at." But others state that the atmosphere can be "wonderful and challenging."
Students who considered USNA also looked at Duke University, The Citadel, United States Military Academy, and Virginia Military Institute.
8. University of Dallas (Irving, Texas)
Most strikingly, UD students are "strongly, almost eccentrically, grounded in orthodox Catholic principles." More than one respondent to our survey offers "sheltered, conservative, middle-class, and white" as appropriate adjectives to describe the undergraduate population. " Those who do differ from this norm report some friction: "I'm a pretty liberal Democrat and would support issues like abortion and gay rights, for example, and most people here are appalled by that."
Students who considered UD also looked at Austin College, Baylor University, Saint Louis University, and Texas Christian University.
9. Wheaton College (Wheaton, Illinois)
Book learning means nothing at Wheaton without a Christian basis, and many students comment favorably on the "integration of academic challenges and moral principles" at their school. "It's not that I'm simply studying and earning grades. I am able to grow as a person and a student," writes a first-year undergraduate. The majority of students at Wheaton seem to support the strict rules that govern campus life, concurring that they eliminate "negative peer pressure."
Students who considered Wheaton also looked at Baylor University, Davidson College, Grove City College, and Taylor University.
10. United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point, New York)
Respondents agree that "most students have similar political views," which translates to "no hippies." "The typical USMMA student is reported to be a white male between the ages of 18 and 22; only about 100 women attend the Academy. Everyone becomes 'typical' by necessity because of the regimentation of the school."
Students who considered USMMA also looked at SUNY Maritime College, United States Coast Guard Academy, Virginia Military Institute, and Virginia Tech.
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