The College Fix

Heritage Foundation database will help parents pick ‘intellectually rigorous’ colleges

The Heritage Foundation has a new guide to help parents and students choose a quality college that promotes “free expression” and “open inquiry.”

The conservative think tank officially released its “Choose College with Confidence” guide today and provided further comments to The College Fix. The goal is to “provide more transparency” on higher education so there can be a “course correction,” Senior Fellow Jonathan Butcher told The Fix via a phone interview Monday.

The think tank started with 280 universities and aimed to find at least two “Great Option” schools in each state. Universities are also rated “Worth Considering” and “Not Recommended.”

“Great Option” universities “offer an intellectually rigorous and well-rounded campus environment,” according to Heritage Foundation. They also “generally remain independent of extensive DEI administrative influence or bureaucracies and offer a solid return on investment.”

“Worth Considering” universities may not be “on the whole” good choices for conservatives, but “are distinguished by their robust programs and centers that foster rigorous academic study, the pursuit of truth, and a shared commitment to preparing students for informed citizenship in a free society.”

The guide draws on other resources including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression’s free speech rankings, the Newman Guide, and input from State Policy Network think tanks.

“On-the-ground” input was important to ensure people close to the situation were heard, Butcher told The Fix.

“We definitely wanted to have objective criteria as a part of our base because this is ultimately a research project,” Butcher said. “But at the same time there are those on the ground in their states who know their universities.”

“Some of these state think tanks are aware of what’s happening in and around these universities that doesn’t always make national news,” Butcher said.

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“We just wanted to get a sense from…on the ground of which colleges and universities are good options for conservatives,” Senior Research Affiliate Madison Marino said on the phone interview.

Other inputs include the American Council of Trustees and Alumni “What Will They Learn?” rankings and data from the National Center for Education Statistics. The project also looked at if the school requires “diversity statements in hiring.”

Ongoing feedback from the ground is a key component of the guide. Every listed school includes an option to “Give us your thoughts about our review of this institution.”

“We actually tried to make that a central feature,” Butcher said, discussing the role of feedback.

“The whole purpose” is to be able to “use the feedback” when Heritage expands the project, Butcher said. The think tank plans to add more universities next year.

Developments on campus, such as encampments or “free speech statements,” means the ratings can change, Butcher said.

“While we want to capture tradition, as much as we can, or reputation, as best as we can, we also recognize that there may be a school that we ranked ‘green,’” that had an “incident” that would change the ratings, Butcher said.

He said there will be “many” who will come forward with more information about problems at their university. This will effect change, Butcher predicted.

“When you shine sunlight, when you expose and provide transparency about this radical stuff, these schools back away,” Butcher said.

The guide will “empower” families to “make informed choices” about universities,” Marino, the senior research associate, told The Fix.

Butcher said there will be some “interesting components” added next year to the rankings. He said there will be regular events and writing to further publicize the guide.

Marino said the platform will be made “more comprehensive” in the future to continue to help families, noting there are about 2,800 universities in the country, so there is “more work to be done.”

Editor’s note: The College Fix has received a grant from the Heritage Foundation for an unrelated project.

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IMAGE: Heritage Foundation

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