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Unfortunately, that no longer is the case. American universities have lost their way, and students should question whether the cost of a degree is worth it.

American universities have long been seen as institutions that welcome and foster intellectual diversity and debate. Though academia has always had a leftward tilt — politically and ideologically — dissenting views were welcomed, and open dialogue was encouraged.

Today, American universities are no longer a marketplace of ideas but an ideological echo chamber where dissenting views are punished. On college campuses, free speech is increasingly under attack.

The decline in intellectual diversity and the simultaneous rise of intolerance are not coincidental. Instead, they are a direct result of mandates on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which have infected campuses nationwide. DEI initiatives have affected hiring, admissions and curriculums.

While these initiatives are framed as increasing diversity, benefiting underprivileged students and fostering a more inclusive environment, they often have the opposite effect. They encourage a victim mentality, punish dissenting views and encourage discrimination.

Additionally, these initiatives have given the intolerant, radical left a mandate to attack anyone who does not adhere to their beliefs. For example, in 2023, women’s sports activist Riley Gaines said she was  and held hostage by radical protesters at San Francisco State University when she visited the campus to speak about the inclusion of transgender athletes on women’s sports teams.

Just a few weeks ago, a similar incident occurred at the University of California Davis when masked protesters  students attending an event hosted by a conservative organization on campus.

Sadly, these are not isolated incidents. Over the last two years, the increase in pro-Palestinian rallies on college campuses often translated into an increase in antisemitic activity. At Columbia University in New York, for example, Jewish students told me they faced harassment, verbal abuse and threats of physical violence. The university failed to stop it.  

´¡Ìý conducted by the American Jewish Committee and Hillel International in 2024 found nearly one-third of American Jewish college students thought faculty members “promoted antisemitism or fueled a learning environment that is hostile to Jews.â€�

In many cases, university faculty members and administrators are aligned with radical ideologies. Rather than serving as neutral arbiters, they use DEI to promote ideological uniformity.

Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump took steps to abolish universities’ DEI programs and to punish some of the worst offenders by cutting federal funding. Unfortunately, for now, the damage is done. It will take years to reverse course and bring American universities back into the light -- if possible.

And while the reputation of American universities is low, tuition is higher than ever. Student loan debt has reached crisis levels, and many graduates are leaving campus with limited job prospects and crippling loan payments. Except for medical school and other specialized degrees, the return on investment is shrinking. No longer does a university degree guarantee a good job or even a well-rounded education.

By refusing to foster intellectual diversity and open dialogue, American universities are short-changing their students and failing to prepare them for the real world. Rather than shelling out hundreds of thousands of dollars for a subpar education and a middling degree, high school students should evaluate alternative options.

Unless university leaders take meaningful steps to change course, they alone will be to blame for this unfortunate decline.