Schools in New England Show Significant Progress as Universities Engage with ADL, Finds 2026 Campus Antisemitism Report Card

Half of Assessed Institutions Earn Higher Grades as Clearer Standards and Enforcement Take Hold

Boston, MA, March 10, 2026 … ADL (the Anti-Defamation League) today released its third annual Campus Antisemitism Report Card, showing sustained, year-over-year improvement across colleges and universities as institutions strengthen policies and campus responses to antisemitism. The 2026 Report Card assessed 150 colleges and universities nationally across 32 criteria in three areas: administrative policies, Jewish life on campus and campus conduct and climate concerns. Sixteen schools were assessed in New England. 

While only 23.5 percent of assessed colleges and universities received A's and B's in 2024 and 41 percent received such grades in 2025, the percentage of those receiving the top grades rose to 58 percent in 2026. Additionally, the grades of 47 percent of the 135 schools assessed in 2025 improved in 2026.

In New England, Brandeis University maintained its A grade — one of just 23 schools nationally to earn a top score this year. Emerson College and Clark University are newly assessed this year and both received B grades. Notably, several schools in the region saw significant improvement. Northeastern University improved from a B to an A. Tufts University improved from a C to a B, and Brown University and Williams College each improved from a C to a B as well.

The regional schools evaluated received these grades:

• Schools earning an A grade: Brandeis University and Northeastern University.
• Schools earning a B grade: Brown University, Clark University, Dartmouth College, Emerson College, Tufts University, University of Vermont, Wellesley College and Williams College.
• Schools earning a C grade: Amherst College, Boston University, Harvard University and Umass Amherst. 
• Schools earning a D grade: Bowdoin College and MIT received a D grade due to ongoing campus climate challenges affecting their overall assessment.

Nationally, 23 schools received an A grade (up from 11 in 2025), 64 received a B (up from 44 in 2025), 51 received a C (up from 49 in 2025), 8 received a D (down from 21 in 2025) and 4 received an F (down from 10 in 2025). 

"New England is home to some of the most storied universities in the world, and Jewish students deserve to feel safe and supported at every single one of them," said Samantha Joseph, ADL New England Regional Director. "The progress we're seeing this year is the result of universities taking their obligations seriously and engaging with us in good faith. When institutions commit to clear policies, consistent enforcement and meaningful investment in Jewish campus life, the grades reflect it. We will keep pushing until every school in the region earns the grade all Jewish students deserve."

ADL has also released new national survey findings in its companion report, Campus Crossroads: Non-Jewish Student Perceptions of Jews and Israel, which reveal nearly half (48.3 percent) of the 1,007 non-Jewish students surveyed reported witnessing or experiencing anti-Jewish behavior in the past year, and 47.6 percent endorsed at least one anti-Jewish attitude. At the same time, strong majorities of students support university action to address antisemitism, suggesting both ongoing risk and meaningful opportunity for campus leadership. 

Why Are Some Schools Improving?

Institutions showing the greatest gains tended to adopt clearer antisemitism definitions, expand training, formalize accountability structures, enforce policies consistently and integrate antisemitism into broader non-discrimination and campus safety frameworks. These changes were often informed by direct engagement with ADL and were aligned with ADL's Six Asks for campus administrators.

"The campuses showing the greatest improvement are those that treat antisemitism as an ongoing responsibility, not a one-time response," said Shira Goodman, ADL Vice President of Advocacy and head of the Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education. "Treating progress as a finish line risks complacency; meaningful change requires sustained leadership, ongoing assessment and continued vigilance as campus climates evolve."

The Campus Antisemitism Report Card is a project of the ADL Ronald Birnbaum Center to Combat Antisemitism in Education (CCAE) and the Ratings and Assessments Institute (RAI).