Conservative Universities: Finding an Alternative to a Left-Leaning College Education
It has been said —and rightly so— that the majority of institutions of higher education are left leaning. Statistics from a recent study state that 72% of all university professors self identify as liberals. Only 15% say that they’re conservatives. Private, Ivy League schools are even more lopsided with 87% of the faculty identified as liberal and 13% as conservative.
While a little bit of debate never hurt anyone, some conservative high school graduates desire an education founded in principles that more closely match their own. The answer can be found among the various conservative-leaning private universities and colleges. Listed below are three conservative options and what they have to offer:
Baylor University- Waco Texas
One of the larger private universities to top the conservative list, Baylor University has around 14,000 students and offers 150 undergraduate programs. Their educational philosophy is based on the Baptist faith. The school has a relatively high tuition and many of the students are from affluent backgrounds. There are many multi-generational Baylor families.
Hillsdale College- Hillsdale Michigan
This college averages around 1,200 students at any given time. Only undergraduate degrees are offered in over 50 concentrations. 75% of all Hillsdale students receive some type of financial aid from the university itself. Hillsdale does not accept federal financial aid. A morality code is applied to all students who attend the school, and required coursework includes a two-course sequence on great books of the western world, the constitution, and United States history.
Hillsdale students do well when competing for places in professional programs, and their website claims that 98% of all graduates have a job or enter graduate school six months after graduation.
College of the Ozarks- Hollister Missouri
Known as “Work Hard U”, College of the Ozarks provides a free, accredited college program to motivated students who demonstrate financial need. Students apply for grants through the government aid program, and then work on campus 15 hours a week plus two 40-hour weeks each semester. The difference between the cost of tuition and the grant received is covered by working and grants from the university.
Academics are consistently ranked in the top 300 by credible sources. Students are expected to abstain from alcohol both on and off campus, and a strict dress code is enforced.
Conclusion
These three conservative alternatives represent a small piece of the conservative college continuum. With a little bit of research, a young conservative student can find the perfect fit for their beliefs, budget, and educational goals. *Alexis Bonari is a freelance writer and blog junkie. She is currently a resident blogger at onlinedegrees.org, researching online degree programs. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.
4 comments:
Hello. Nice work. How can I subscribe to your site?
“The way to get good ideas is to get lots of ideas, and throw the bad ones away” You have defenitely thrown the worst away!
Baylor isn't conservative, it is a quite liberal institution in a Baptist cloak. I would not let my daughter attend this school at all.
I have to disagree with you on this one. I went to Baylor and it definately leans conservative. Not because its policy, but because the atmosphere there is open to all viewpoints. Conservative voices and ideas arent supressed or discouraged like they are at most liberal universities. The fact that the Baylor community leans to the right is simply a result of all ideas being allowed to fairly compete.
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