Liberals strongly oppose President Trump’s new Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education, yet a point-by-point analysis shows the compact is designed to reverse years of DEI and woke policies that have stifled free speech and scientific debate on campus. It prioritizes STEM education, requires universities to make students aware of salary expectations for different majors, and demands that schools use their endowments responsibly. Institutions with large endowments must provide free education for STEM students, ensuring resources are directed toward academic excellence and real-world outcomes.
An Analysis of the requirements of the Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education
1. Marketplace of Ideas & Academic Freedom
The compact begins with a call for a “vibrant marketplace of ideas” where no single ideology dominates campus culture. It requires universities to revise governance structures to eliminate departments that suppress or punish conservative views, while also strengthening protections for academic freedom and prohibiting discriminatory or harassing behavior. This principle echoes the historic mission of universities to cultivate intellectual diversity and open inquiry.
2. Non-Discrimination in Hiring and Admissions
The compact prohibits universities from considering sex, ethnicity, race, national origin, disability, or religion in hiring, promotion, or admissions decisions, aligning with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title VII already bars employers—including educational institutions, from discriminating in employment based on these characteristics, whether through intentional actions or policies that have a discriminatory effect. It also covers harassment and requires reasonable accommodations for religious practices unless they cause undue hardship.
The compact directly mirrors these requirements, stating that no such factors may be considered in academic, administrative, or staff decisions except where Title VII provides specific exceptions. In essence, it does not impose new rules but demands that universities comply with existing anti-discrimination law.
3. Institutional Neutrality
The compact requires that university employees, in their official capacity, refrain from making statements or taking actions on social and political issues unless those issues directly affect the institution. The intent is to prevent universities from acting as political entities rather than educational institutions, ensuring they remain focused on teaching, research, and open inquiry
4. Foreign Student Enrollment & Transparency
The compact limits international undergraduate enrollment to 15 percent of the student body, with no single country exceeding 5 percent, and requires full disclosure of all direct and indirect foreign funding. China remains a central concern: in 2023/24 it sent about 277,000 students to the U.S., roughly 25 percent of all international students, though India recently surpassed it as the top sender. The FBI has identified China as the most severe counterintelligence threat to the United States, with nearly 1,000 open investigations into economic espionage and intellectual property theft, most linked to Chinese actors targeting American universities and research institutions.
The provision also addresses foreign funding transparency. During Trump’s first term, Department of Education investigations found that universities had failed to report more than $6.5 billion in foreign gifts and contracts from countries including China, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, despite Section 117 of the Higher Education Act requiring disclosure of amounts over $250,000. In April 2025, Trump signed an executive order tightening these rules and threatening to withhold federal funding from institutions that fail to disclose foreign support.
5. Grade Integrity
The compact commits to addressing grade inflation and maintaining rigorous standards for student grading. Grade inflation is a well-documented problem: in the 1960s the most common grade at American universities was a C, while by the 2010s–2020s it became an A. At many elite universities, over 40–50 percent of grades are now A’s, with average GPAs reported above 3.6 or 3.7. When too many students receive top marks, grades lose their ability to distinguish between exceptional, good, and mediocre performance, devaluing credentials and undermining their signaling function to employers and graduate schools.
This trend also feeds into the “everyone gets a trophy” culture, creating a false sense of mastery. Students may believe they are well-prepared when in fact inflated grades mask deficiencies that surface later on professional exams, in graduate programs, or in the workplace. For example, a pre-med student who earns A’s in organic chemistry might still struggle with the MCAT chemistry section because their grades gave them false confidence rather than rigorous preparation. When students can achieve high marks without exceptional effort, the incentive to push themselves intellectually diminishes, reducing both learning and long-term growth.
6. Tuition Freeze & Affordability
The compact also requires schools to freeze tuition for American students for five years, curb grade inflation, and eliminate programs that fail to serve students. Universities with endowments exceeding $2 billion per undergraduate must provide free tuition for students in hard science programs, except for those from wealthy families. This provision achieves the long-discussed goal of free education for STEM students without placing the financial burden on taxpayers, unlike liberal proposals for universal free tuition and loan forgiveness. It also eliminates taxpayer money wasted on programs such as gender studies or general studies that provide little value to society after graduation.
7. Student Outcomes Transparency
The compact requires universities to publish statistics on average earnings for graduates in each program and to refund tuition to students who withdraw during their first academic term. These measures address two key problems in higher education: information asymmetry, where students take on large debts without knowing the real return on their degree, and financial risk, where those who quickly realize a program is a poor fit lose their entire investment. By providing earnings data, students can make informed choices rather than blindly entering debt in a “trophy culture” of inflated grades, and by offering refunds, universities are forced to share the risk and deliver on their promises. Together, these reforms promote transparency and accountability, empowering students as informed consumers rather than powerless customers.This provision targets the hypocrisy of wealthy universities hoarding tax-exempt endowments worth billions while still charging families $80,000–90,000 per year in tuition. Schools like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton each hold more than $6 million per student in endowment funds yet continue to burden middle-class families with crushing costs, even though their annual endowment gains alone could cover all tuition many times over. Under the compact, universities with endowments exceeding $2 billion per undergraduate student must provide free tuition for those studying hard science programs, with exceptions for families of substantial means. By prioritizing STEM, this measure addresses both the nation’s urgent need for scientific talent and the injustice of universities functioning as tax-exempt hedge funds rather than fulfilling their educational mission.
8. Gender Policies & Title IX Compliance
The compact commits universities to definitions of sex and gender consistent with the administration’s interpretation, particularly in relation to transgender participation in women’s sports and access to facilities. Compliance will be monitored annually through certifications by senior administrators and anonymous polling of faculty, students, and staff, with reviews conducted by the Department of Justice. Schools found in violation risk losing federal benefits for at least two years. This provision reinforces legal compliance and traditional academic principles, requiring institutions to uphold Title VII’s ban on considering sex, race, religion, national origin, or disability in hiring, admissions, or promotion decisions. It also aligns with recent Supreme Court rulings that struck down race-based admissions, ensuring universities conform to established law rather than continuing unconstitutional practices.
9. Compliance & Certification
The compact requires annual certification by the university president, provost, and head of admissions affirming adherence to its principles. Compliance will also be monitored through anonymous polling of faculty, students, and staff, with results reviewed by the Department of Justice. Institutions found in violation would face deprioritization for federal funding.
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