Poll: Majority of Students at America’s Top Private High School Identify as Non-Conservative.

Less Than 10% of Students at Phillips Academy Andover Identify as Conservatives

According to the latest edition of an annual poll, less than 10% of students at Massachusetts’ prestigious Phillips Academy Andover identify as conservatives. The poll, titled “State of the Academy,” provides insights into the political demographics and beliefs of the student body. With an acceptance rate of just 9% and the largest yearly endowment of any private boarding school at over $1.2 billion, Phillips Academy Andover boasts a long list of powerful alumni. The anonymous survey achieved an 81% participation rate with 931 respondents.

Political Beliefs and Self-Censorship

• Only 8.6% of students self-identify as conservatives, while 2.7% identify as libertarians, 38.9% as liberals, 6.1% as socialists, 1.9% as communists, and 13.3% as independents. The second largest group, after liberals, consists of those who are “unsure” at 26.5%.
• An overwhelming majority of conservatives (94.7%) and libertarians (70.8%) at the school engage in self-censorship, compared to 33.2% of liberals and 31.5% of socialists.

Changing Political Beliefs and News Sources

• When asked if their political beliefs had changed in the past year, 62.7% said their beliefs stayed the same, 19.8% moved to the left, and 17.5% moved to the right. The majority of respondents (88.6%) believe there is a left-leaning political environment on campus.
• The top five news sources for students are the New York Times, CNN, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and the BBC.

Social and Political Issues

• Regarding the right to have an abortion, only 1.9% of students said no, 18.9% said yes only in some circumstances, and a staggering 79.2% said yes always. Men were less supportive of abortion compared to women.
• The survey found that 34.4% of respondents believe white people can experience racism. Asian and white respondents thought white people could experience racism 37.5% and 37.2% of the time, respectively.
• While 80.2% of students support affirmative action, 75.5% of Asians and 95.9% of black respondents approve of such policies.
• A majority of students (91.1%) support the Black Lives Matter movement. Additionally, 8.6% believe the current prison system in the United States should be abolished, and 67.4% think the police system should be altered.
• Almost three-quarters of respondents (73.5%) believe it should be easier to immigrate to the United States.
• While 92.7% of respondents believe gun laws should be stricter, only 14.2% said someone in their household owns firearms.

Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives

Phillips Academy Andover has an extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative, including programs such as restorative justice training for faculty, an anti-racism task force, a Native American land acknowledgment, and a bias reporting system. The academy also houses the Brace Center for Gender Studies, which aims to advance intersectional gender equity and inclusion.

According to Chief Communications Officer Tracy Sweet, Andover teaches students how to think critically about the world and its challenges, rather than telling them what to think.

Notable Alumni and Affiliations

• Phillips Academy Andover is ranked as the best private school in America by Niche and has notable alumni such as former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, CEO of Fox Corporation Lachlan Murdoch, actor Humphrey Bogart, venture capitalist Tim Draper, John F. Kennedy Jr., and FBI Director Chris Wray.
• The institution is affiliated with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), which has been known to promote gender identity ideology and critical race theory at its conferences.

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