Why Students Are Choosing SEC Campuses Over Northeastern Colleges: Politics, Post‑COVID Life and Southern Growth

Faculty Say Political Climate, Campus Life and Regional Growth Are Driving Student Choices

Faculty interviewed for a report in The Chronicle of Higher Education say the political climate on some Northeastern campuses is one factor pushing students toward public flagship universities in the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Joffery Gaymon, Auburn University’s vice president for enrollment management, told the Chronicle that SEC institutions often present themselves as "apolitical," and that their relative calm can be part of their appeal. "When the world seems to be very noisy, there may be issues on campus, but it just shows up very differently for us," Gaymon said, noting Auburn did not experience the same level of disruption during nationwide protests over the war in Gaza.

"They would, perhaps, like to think of themselves as apolitical," Gaymon told the Chronicle. "Some of those things really do matter to prospective students and families."

Reporting from a range of outlets has documented enrollment declines and financial strain at some Northeastern colleges. For example, Fox News Digital reported that Emerson College enacted staff layoffs and spending cuts amid projected enrollment shortfalls, and larger universities such as the University of Michigan and Columbia University faced intense campus protests that contributed to a tense atmosphere.

Dominique J. Baker, an associate professor at the University of Delaware, told the Chronicle she believes the appeal of SEC flagships "aligns with the country’s right turn," citing what she described as backlash around civil liberties and civil rights and pointing to recent institutional guidance at some universities limiting classroom discussion of gender and race as an example of shifting campus climates.

Other experts emphasize nonpolitical drivers. Robert Kelchen, a professor at the University of Tennessee, said the pandemic reshaped student expectations: many students want the "stereotypical college experience" they missed during online learning and social distancing. Kelchen said his undergraduates value broad academic offerings as well as the social life that large public universities provide.

Research supports the idea that campus climate influences choices. A study by Riley Acton, an assistant professor of economics at Miami University (Ohio), found students are willing to pay more than an additional $2,000 in tuition to attend colleges where fewer peers disagree with them politically.

The Chronicle also highlights lifestyle and economic attractions in the South: a growing regional economy, warmer weather, active Greek life, major sports programs and visible campus investment such as new buildings. "They’ve seen what’s happening to higher education in much of the Northeast and Midwest with cuts, and that’s not something that’s happening as much in the SEC," Kelchen said.

Jeffrey Docking, president of Adrian College, pointed to a mix of marketing, sports entertainment and demographic migration to the South as additional factors. "I think it’s hard to watch an Alabama football game at eight o’clock on a Saturday night and not think, ‘Wow, that’s the place to be,’" Docking said. He added that population shifts and economic expansion in the region are reinforcing enrollment growth at many Southern institutions.

What This Means

Faculty and researchers described a combination of forces shaping student decisions: perceptions of calmer campus environments for some families, post‑COVID demand for in‑person social life, regional economic and demographic shifts toward the South, and cultural perceptions of SEC flagships that align with broader political trends. These factors — taken together with marketing and strong athletics programs — help explain why some students are opting for SEC public universities over Northeastern alternatives.