A recent study has found that a significant number of college students are not expressing their true beliefs, particularly on political and social issues. Researchers from Northwestern University uncovered that about 90% of students admit to pretending to hold more progressive views to fit in with their professors and peers.
The study, conducted between 2023 and 2025, involved interviews with roughly 1,500 undergraduates at Northwestern and the University of Michigan. The researchers, Forest Romm and Kevin Waldman, aimed to explore how students’ identities are shaped when they feel pressured to conform to certain beliefs rather than expressing their own.
When asked if they had ever feigned more leftist views for social or academic success, an astonishing 88% of students responded affirmatively. The findings also revealed that many students self-censor their opinions on sensitive topics. Specifically, 78% said they hold back on discussing gender identity, 72% on politics, and 68% on family values. Moreover, over 80% admitted to submitting assignments that didn’t reflect their true views to align with their professors’ expectations.
The researchers noted a particularly striking statistic: 77% of students disagreed with the notion that gender identity should take precedence over biological sex in areas like sports and healthcare, but they would never voice their disagreement publicly. They expressed concern that the current academic environment fosters a culture where students prioritize social acceptance over intellectual honesty.
The study’s authors criticized faculty and university leaders for creating a system that rewards conformity and discourages open inquiry. They argued that by shielding students from discomfort, universities are also preventing them from discovering their true selves.
The issue of political bias in higher education is not new. A 2018 report indicated that nearly 40% of U.S. colleges had no professors who identified as Republican. This trend has been highlighted by academics like Mitchell Langbert, who found that many elite liberal arts colleges have a striking lack of political diversity among faculty.
Langbert’s research showed that in his sample of 8,688 professors, the ratio of Democratic to Republican faculty was about 10.4 to 1, and in some colleges, there were no registered Republicans at all. He noted that only a few institutions, such as military or religious colleges, offered a more balanced political perspective among faculty.
In response to the growing concern over ideological homogeneity in academia, over 1,000 professors and graduate students have formed Heterodox Academy, which aims to promote diverse viewpoints in higher education.
While there are exceptions, the overall landscape suggests that many students feel compelled to hide their true beliefs for fear of backlash, raising questions about the health of academic discourse in today’s universities.
