Anti-Israel campus protests across the country over the past month have caused many students at top institutions to see antisemitism as a problem at their schools, according to a new survey.
A poll from U.S. News & World Report released on Monday showed that 67% of students at the top 25 universities, as ranked by the outlet, said antisemitism was a problem, while the remaining 33% said it was not a problem on their campus. Overall, 14% said it was a “huge problem,” while 53% said it was a “small problem.”
The schools in the top 25 by the outlet’s rankings include Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles, at which some of the most fiery campus protests occurred.
The widespread protests by some students called for schools to divest in Israel over the war in Gaza against Hamas. Many of the protests had reported instances of intimidation and harassment of Jewish students during the encampments.
The survey also found that most students, 51%, said the protests have not affected their sense of safety on campus. The poll did show that 38% felt less safe on campus, 28% said a little less safe, and 10% much less safe — and that 9% felt more safe on campus, 4% a little more safe, and 5% much more safe.
The protests, while not affecting safety, per the poll, have brought the mood down for many on campus. Of those surveyed, 41% said the protests have negatively affected campus life, compared to 31% who were neutral and 28% who said they positively affected campus life.
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When asked to list the two most important matters, students at these institutions ranked tensions between Israelis and Palestinians near the bottom, with only 34% saying it was one of their top two issues. The top ones included inflation (64%), healthcare (59%), housing (56%), and gun violence (54%).
As colleges end their school years and schools begin to disband protests, the number of anti-Israel demonstrations has decreased on campuses, but some students have continued protests at graduation ceremonies.