A new national survey by the University of Chicago Project on Security and Threats (CPOST) has delivered a sobering message to America’s academic elite: the public is deeply troubled by rising antisemitism on campus and increasingly skeptical of Ivy League institutions themselves. Fielded in early May and sampling over 2,100 American adults, the survey found that 45% of respondents consider campus antisemitism a “serious” or “very serious” issue, a sentiment that cuts across party lines, with 54% of Republicans, 40% of Democrats, and 32% of Independents expressing grave concern.
The findings come amid a wave of anti-Israel protests and high-profile incidents targeting Jewish students at universities like Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. For the pro-Israel community, the message is clear: Americans are watching, and they are alarmed by the climate of hostility and intimidation facing Jewish students on campuses that were once considered bastions of tolerance and free inquiry.
The survey also revealed a dramatic shift in public attitudes toward the Ivy League. Fully 28% of Americans now view elite universities as “the enemy,” a figure that rises to 47% among Republicans and hovers around 30% for Independents. Even among Democrats, only 31% called the Ivies a “friend,” while nearly half said they were unsure. While just a quarter of Americans support defunding Ivy League schools, a significant portion remain ambivalent, reflecting a crisis of confidence in institutions that have long shaped national leadership and discourse.
These results echo the findings of the Anti-Defamation League’s 2025 Campus Report Card, which found that while nearly half of U.S. universities have improved protections for Jewish students in the past year, many elite schools continue to fail in responding to antisemitic incidents and ensuring a safe environment for all. The University of Chicago survey underscores that the American public expects more decisive action from university leaders to confront antisemitism and restore trust.
For Jewish students, the takeaway is urgent: the fight against campus antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue, but a national one. Universities must be held accountable for protecting Jewish students and upholding the values of pluralism, respect, and civil discourse. As Americans lose faith in the Ivy League, it is time for these institutions to demonstrate moral leadership and take a clear stand against hate on campus and beyond.