Princetonians for Free Speech (PFS) released a first-of-its-kind study showing that 98% of reported political contributions by current Princeton faculty went to Democratic candidates or affiliated groups during the 2023-2024 election cycle. Independents and their affiliated groups received 2% of contributions, while Republicans and their affiliated groups received none.
PFS said the findings point to a near-total absence of viewpoint diversity among the university’s faculty.
The study covers all contributions by current Princeton faculty that are required to be reported to the Federal Election Commission, covering the most recent full election cycle.
PFS noted its findings echo recent studies at other leading universities. Yale professors donated overwhelmingly to Democrats in 2025, according to the Yale Daily News, and a 2022 Harvard Crimson survey found similar patterns among Harvard faculty.
The lack of faculty viewpoint diversity has become one of the most closely watched issues in higher education reform, PFS said, with a growing number of university leaders announcing changes to address it — often over faculty objections. PFS said Princeton’s leadership has yet to acknowledge the issue publicly, unlike leaders at Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Vanderbilt and Washington University.
Viewpoint diversity has been a top priority for PFS since it published “The Next Campus Battle After Free Speech: Viewpoint Diversity at America’s Elite Universities“ last February, written by two PFS officers. Today’s study builds on that effort.
“This first of its kind study of Princeton faculty contributions demonstrates the glaring lack of viewpoint diversity among Princeton faculty, an issue that Princeton’s leadership can no longer ignore,” said Edward Yingling, co-founder and chairman of Princetonians for Free Speech.
An in-depth PFS article describing the study and the efforts to increase faculty viewpoint diversity is available here. The full study is available here.