Hello, I am a high school senior looking for either politically conservative or moderate colleges in the New England area. New England is known for being very liberal, but being a conservative student, I’m looking for schools that are either conservative or at least moderate. I have a 3.7 gpa, I am a member of the National Honors Society at my school, and am also involved in community service. I am looking to major in education. Thanks for the help!
Boston College is less liberal than most, but certainly not conservative.
What kind of “conservative”? I.e. business/economic conservative, religious conservative, conservative-leaning libertarian, alt-right conservative, …? What may suit one kind of conservative may not suit another kind.
Many colleges with very liberal reputations don’t offer education majors.
Just to get that major, you might want to focus on state flagships, directional state universities, or Catholic colleges. However, I suspect the education departments at many public universities in the Northeast will be quite liberal. Maybe at Catholic colleges, too. Check the program requirements and course descriptions.
Define conservative. You think the U.S. should have a balanced budget? The campus should have a dress code? No sexual health services or birth control available on campus? Elimination of federal/state social programs? Roe vs. Wade should be repealed? Public prayer before class? You want single-sex dorms that don’t allow the opposite sex inside? You don’t want any gay people on campus? You want to fly a confederate flag?
There’s a range. Many of the above you will not find in the northeast. But some you will.
These are schools with plenty of preppiness, a party and/or Greek culture, perhaps more interest in pre-professional majors than most peers, and interest in sports. These things tend to point toward at least some support for traditional American economic ideals/classical liberalism:
Colgate
Bucknell
BC
Penn
Dartmouth
F&M
Union
Lafayette
Lehigh
Trinity (CT)
There will be pockets of support for libertarian or Republican economic ideals – some want to be in Finance or become entrepreneurs, after all – pretty much everywhere. Socially conservative stances will probably be much harder to find.
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Apologies in advance, but pet peeve— there is no “s” in National HONOR society.
Military and religious colleges are often noted for being politically conservative. Norwich University (in Vermont) has a military orientation and an education major. Eastern Nazarene College and Gordon College (both near Boston) are conservative Protestant colleges with education majors.
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Liberty is at least East Coast, if not New England.
Villanova University may also be a good choice.
College of St. Elizabeth in NJ is known for education.
http://www.cse.edu/
If you are looking at a school that is conservative in their academics, traditions, and values, but ultimately moderate socially, I’d recommend any of the Catholic schools (Holy Cross, Boston College, etc.) Can’t say much for BC, but Holy Cross to me felt like a very moderate campus for students politically, but its values and academics as a school lean slightly to the right. Trinity College CT is also supposed to be a more conservative student body than most LACs.
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IMO you are getting a couple of harsh responses here. If I were to guess, you are seeking a school that isn’t completely left leaning where center and conservative (economic or socially) viewpoints are respected. I think the suggestion of only Liberty, Catholic & military are a bit much. Just because you are not liberal doesn’t mean you can’t be successful and happy at other schools. There is nothing wrong with not wanting to be in a “lefty” environment but not a completely far right one either. Maybe you do want far right and if you do…they are out there.
The Northeast is tough…right now it is leaning left but the reality is there are many moderate or just to the right of center students on campuses in the NE. However, many keep their mouths shut and aren’t active politically. We are living in a time when people don’t feel free to express their views and many just don’t want to “get into it.”. A lot of leftism shouts so it seems very, very loud.
Look for a good academic, financial fit, and a school where you could feel at home. Remember you are free to believe what you want and I happen to believe you will always find your people in life if you try. If you choose to be politically active most schools will have both “sides” of the argument right now. Will the left be louder and bigger in the Northeast? Most likely.
I am very sorry you have to grow up in a time like this. I miss when things were live and let live and we didn’t have to worry about this issue.
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Good suggestions, including list in #5, and I’d concur about Holy Cross and some of the other Catholic schools, including Fairfield University
“IMO you are getting a couple of harsh responses here.”
Where are the harsh responses on this thread? A few folks have asked for more clarity on what moderate/conservative means exactly to the OP as it can vary from person to person and without it defined further, it makes it difficult to recommend colleges. Not harsh.
@prezbucky excellent suggestions.
St. Anselm?
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Marist.
Endicott ?
Northeastern, the University of Maine and Simmons might be examples of schools that offer your major and may be sufficiently apolitical so as not to be perceived as objectionably liberal by a conservative-leaning student.
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