Campus Antisemitism Persists Despite Policy Gains, 2026 Report Shows
Nearly half of non-Jewish students witnessed anti-Jewish behavior on campus in 2026, according to ADL survey data.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights released a unanimously approved, bipartisan report on September 28, 2026, stating that campus antisemitism is a serious civil rights concern, as universities continue to grapple with protecting Jewish students while balancing free speech protections.
Record Incidents Despite Improved Policies
Incidents on college campuses remained almost three times higher in 2025 than in 2021, according to the Anti-Defamation League's 2025 audit. Hillel International reported 2,334 antisemitic incidents during the 2024-2025 school year, an increase of more than 500 incidents over the 2023-2024 academic year and a ten-fold rise compared to the 2022-2023 year.
Reported incidents of online harassment surged nearly 185 percent, while incidents of assault decreased from a high of 50 in 2023-2024 to 32 in 2024-2025, and incidents of vandalism and graffiti declined by nearly 55 percent.
Gap Between policy and Student Experience
The number of colleges and universities receiving As and Bs on ADL's report cards more than doubled since 2024, going from 23.5% to 58%. As of March 2026, 94% of the 150 schools assessed prohibit both unauthorized encampments and event disruptions on campus.
However, ADL's 2026 survey of non-Jewish college students found that 48.3% reported witnessing or experiencing anti-Jewish behavior on campus or in campus-related digital spaces in the past year. About 47.6% of non-Jewish students endorsed at least one anti-Jewish attitude, with 19.2% holding three or more.
Federal Response Intensifies
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights sent letters on July 1, 2026, to 60 institutions of higher education warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus. The letters were addressed to universities presently under investigation for Title VI violations relating to antisemitic harassment and discrimination.
In September 2026, the Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services reached a settlement with Lincoln Memorial University after federal officials found the university's DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine denied requests from Jewish students to reschedule classes and exams for religious holidays during the 2025-26 school year, while granting similar accommodations to some non-Jewish students.
Institutional Challenges Remain
Jewish students reported harassment, vandalism, threats, exclusion, and rhetoric that affected their safety, sense of belonging, and educational experiences, particularly after October 7, 2023, according to the Civil Rights Commission report.
Universities' responses remain inconsistent, the report found, as institutions must address discrimination and harassment based on Jewish shared ancestry while protecting political speech, peaceful protest activity, academic freedom, and other forms of expression covered by the First Amendment.
The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights investigation was led by Commissioners Peter Kirsanow (R) and Mondaire Jones (D) and examined federal and institutional responses to campus antisemitism since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack against israel.
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