Liberal Speakers Outnumber Conservatives at Commencement

Katie Pavlich | May 15, 2012 12:50 PM

It's that time of year again when university students dress in their cap and gown to finally receive their diploma after thousands of dollars and long nights in the library. This year, like every other year, is no exception when it comes to the diversity of, or should I say lack of diversity, in commencement speaker political ideology.

Young America's Foundation has released its 19th annual Commencement Speakers Survey which shows a vast majority of commencement speakers for the top 100 universities, listed by US News and World Report, were liberal. Just 10 speakers are conservative while 71 are liberal. Out of the top 35 schools, only one conservative will speak. Not to mention, 16 Obama administration officials will speak on college campuses around the country, more than all the conservative speakers combined.

Here is the survey criteria according to YAF:

To qualify as “liberal” or “conservative” for the survey, speakers must have publicly supported ideological causes through speaking, writing, serving in public office, commentating, or financial contributions.

And a statement from YAF President Ron Robinson on the survey results:

“This administration wants to sell its failed policies to college students, and clearly, higher education is more than willing to help. As tuition and student loan debt grow at historic rates, what are students getting for the money? An education from leftist professors that—combined with the Obama administration’s policies—has left 53 percent of recent grads unemployed or underemployed. These commencement speakers are just the icing on higher education’s indoctrination cake.”