There is no concrete proof that liberals outnumber conservatives in academia. That said, despite the likelihood that critiques of political bias have more to do with ideological challenges than oppression, the perception persists that higher education is overwhelmingly liberal.
Beyond being merely persistent, this perception has also led to political showdowns with far-reaching ramifications. Since taking office in January 2025, President Donald Trump has launched attacks on universities across the United States over allegations of liberal bias. In May 2025, Trump's administration prevented Harvard from enrolling international students, claiming that the nation's oldest university is "fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party on its campus," according to a statement issued by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. A month later, in July 2025, Columbia University paid a $200 million fine to the federal government to settle other discrimination claims from Trump and restore federal funding.
Some schools have a longstanding history of liberalism or progressive ideology. In many cases, these schools exist in more liberal regions of the country or are progressive by design. They are among the most prestigious, largest, and best-endowed schools in the United States.
To determine the 50 most liberal universities and colleges in America, Stacker used 2026 rankings from Niche. Niche considered students' self-reported political leanings as well as the results of student surveys regarding on-campus political preferences, specifically liberal students' opinions about overall political leanings among the student body. (You can read the full methodology here.)
Keep reading to find out which schools are the country's most liberal.
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Darryl Brooks // Shutterstock
1 / 50- Location: Savannah, GA
- Overall Niche grade: C+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 12,642
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
- Acceptance rate: 84%
- Typical SAT range: 1050-1280
Jacob Boomsma // Shutterstock
2 / 50- Location: Duluth, MN
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,249
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 82%
- Typical SAT range: 1130-1340
EQ Roy // Shutterstock
3 / 50- Location: New Paltz, NY
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,564
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Typical SAT range: 1170-1340
Lissandra Melo // Shutterstock
4 / 50- Location: San Francisco
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,527
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Typical SAT range: 1210-1390
Ganna Tokolova // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Location: Los Angeles
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 20,502
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Typical SAT range: 1440-1550
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CarlosBarquero // Shutterstock
6 / 50- Location: Pittsburgh
- Overall Niche grade: C
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,110
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 98%
- Typical SAT range: 1040-1240
EQRoy // Shutterstock
7 / 50- Location: Brunswick, ME
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,873
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 8%
- Typical SAT range: 1480-1550
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
8 / 50- Location: Waltham, MA
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 3,615
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Typical SAT range: 1390-1530
Andriy Blokhin // Shutterstock
9 / 50- Location: New York
- Overall Niche grade: B-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,473
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Typical SAT range: 1130-1330
Leigh Trail // Shutterstock
10 / 50- Location: Champaign, IL
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,468
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: 1270-1510
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Paras Griffin // Getty Images
11 / 50- Location: Atlanta
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,532
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 34%
- Typical SAT range: 1060-1270
Susan B Sheldon // Shutterstock
12 / 50- Location: Kalamazoo, MI
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,190
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 76%
- Typical SAT range: 1190-1370
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
13 / 50- Location: Madison, WI
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,278
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: 1360-1510
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
14 / 50- Location: Norton, MA
- Overall Niche grade: B-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,746
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 72%
- Typical SAT range: 1210-1420
EQRoy // Shutterstock
15 / 50- Location: Bronx, NY
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,684
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1490
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
16 / 50- Location: Northfield, MN
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 3,044
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 52%
- Typical SAT range: 1260-1470
Ringo Chiu // Shutterstock
17 / 50- Location: Los Angeles
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 32,472
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 9%
- Typical SAT range: not available
ArtByArthur // Shutterstock
18 / 50- Location: Carlisle, PA
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,096
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Tupungato // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Location: Chicago
- Overall Niche grade: C-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,013
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 91%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
20 / 50- Location: Wooster, OH
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,723
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 54%
- Typical SAT range: 1250-1450
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
21 / 50- Location: Minneapolis
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,124
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Typical SAT range: 1310-1480
VDB Photos // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Location: Seattle
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,863
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
23 / 50- Location: Saint Paul, MN
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,679
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 94%
- Typical SAT range: 1060-1210
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
24 / 50- Location: Saint Paul, MN
- Overall Niche grade: C+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,634
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
- Acceptance rate: 90%
- Typical SAT range: 1140-1400
gkrisanic // Shutterstock
25 / 50- Location: Memphis, TN
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,891
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 50%
- Typical SAT range: 1290-1490
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Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
26 / 50- Location: Boston
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,857
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1460-1550
William Silver // Shutterstock
27 / 50- Location: Williamsburg, VA
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,975
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 33%
- Typical SAT range: 1370-1510
Drazen Zigic // Shutterstock
28 / 50- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,640
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Typical SAT range: 1130-1300
Kim Willems // Shutterstock
29 / 50- Location: Worcester, MA
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,322
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Typical SAT range: 1240-1400
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Location: Boston
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,562
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 66%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1390
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BrianPIrwin // Shutterstock
31 / 50- Location: Charlottesville, VA
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 16,829
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Typical SAT range: 1410-1530
Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
32 / 50- Location: Salem, OR
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,337
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 79%
- Typical SAT range: 1220-1430
Yingna Cai // Shutterstock
33 / 50- Location: Wellesley, MA
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,299
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Typical SAT range: 1440-1550
Pressmaster // Shutterstock
34 / 50- Location: Cleveland
- Overall Niche grade: C
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 557
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 56%
- Typical SAT range: 1060-1300
Brian Logan Photography // Shutterstock
35 / 50- Location: Northampton, MA
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,549
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 20%
- Typical SAT range: 1410-1540
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Ken Wolter // Shutterstock
36 / 50- Location: Saint Paul, MN
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,106
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1510
Koeppen Photo // Shutterstock
37 / 50- Location: Santa Cruz, CA
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,227
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 20:1
- Acceptance rate: 63%
- Typical SAT range: 1160-1360
RonaldL // Shutterstock
38 / 50- Location: Bellingham, WA
- Overall Niche grade: B-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 12,558
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 91%
- Typical SAT range: 1110-1350
Feng Cheng // Shutterstock
39 / 50- Location: South Hadley, MA
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,164
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1500
ARTYOORAN // Shutterstock
40 / 50- Location: Portland, OR
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,985
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 91%
- Typical SAT range: 1000-1250
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TW Farlow Media // Shutterstock
41 / 50- Location: Ithaca, NY
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 4,285
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Typical SAT range: 1190-1370
Ameer Mussard-Afcari // Shutterstock
42 / 50- Location: New York
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,817
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 58%
- Typical SAT range: not available
Jorge Salcedo // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Location: Boston
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,899
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Typical SAT range: 1400-1520
Joshua Rainey Photography // Shutterstock
44 / 50- Location: Eugene, OR
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 18,202
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 85%
- Typical SAT range: 1130-1360
Brianna bb // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Location: Bronxville, NY
- Overall Niche grade: C+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 1,498
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 59%
- Typical SAT range: 1270-1440
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PICTOR PICTURES // Shutterstock
46 / 50- Location: Oberlin, OH
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,978
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 33%
- Typical SAT range: 1370-1510
Rosemarie Mosteller // Shutterstock
47 / 50- Location: Washington D.C.
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,386
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 6:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1500
PeopleImages // Shutterstock
48 / 50- Location: Purchase, NY
- Overall Niche grade: C
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 2,918
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
- Acceptance rate: 73%
- Typical SAT range: 1180-1360
Bob LoCicero // Shutterstock
49 / 50- Location: Burlington, VT
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 11,410
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
- Acceptance rate: 60%
- Typical SAT range: 1250-1420
bluestork // Shutterstock
50 / 50- Location: Washington D.C.
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,533
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 47%
- Typical SAT range: 1300-1450
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