The Buckley Institute reports that 27 of Yale’s 43 undergraduate departments have no faculty members registered as Republicans. Its analysis finds roughly 83% of Yale faculty identify with or primarily support Democrats, more than 15% as independents, and under 3% as Republicans. The institute argues the imbalance limits ideological diversity and undermines open debate; Yale says it does not track faculty political affiliations and points to initiatives meant to promote free expression and civil discourse.
Buckley Institute Says 27 Yale Undergraduate Departments Have No Registered Republican Faculty
A recent report from the Buckley Institute found that there are no Republican faculty across 27 departments at Yale University.
A report from the conservative Buckley Institute finds that 27 of Yale’s 43 undergraduate departments list no faculty members registered as Republicans. The analysis — which also examined faculty in the Yale School of Management and Yale Law School — characterizes the faculty's political composition as heavily Democratic and argues that this imbalance undermines open debate on campus.
Key Findings
The Buckley Institute's report states that nearly 83% of Yale faculty are registered Democrats or primarily support Democratic candidates, more than 15% identify as independents, and fewer than 3% identify as Republicans. Most strikingly, the study reports that 27 of 43 undergraduate departments have zero registered Republicans among their faculty.
The report found that nearly 83 percent of faculty are registered Democrats or mainly support Democratic candidates.
Institute's Statement
"For the third year in a row, our research has highlighted the significant political and ideological imbalance among Yale’s faculty," said Lauren Noble, founder and executive director of the Buckley Institute. "Yale has committed repeatedly over decades to fostering an environment conducive to open debate and discussion but has all but excluded diversity of opinion through its hiring process. With such a dramatic ideological chasm between the Yale campus and the country, it is not hard to see why trust for higher education is so low."
Yale's Response
Yale University told Fox News Digital that it does not track or comment on the political affiliations of individual faculty members. The university emphasized its commitment to free expression and open debate, citing its Woodward Report and several recent initiatives designed to promote constructive discourse. Yale highlighted the Yale Center for Civic Thought (established May 2025), the Center for Academic Freedom and Free Speech at Yale Law School, and the Committee on Institutional Voice (convened September 2024) as efforts to support a range of viewpoints on campus. The university also pointed to longstanding forums such as the Yale Political Union and a variety of student organizations.
About the Buckley Institute
Named for the late conservative commentator William F. Buckley Jr., a 1950 Yale graduate, the Buckley Institute was founded in 2011. The organization says its mission is to foster intellectual diversity at Yale and to bolster free speech by attracting students and viewpoints from across the political spectrum.
"Yale's principles on free speech, as encapsulated in the Woodward Report, recognize that for Yale to fulfill its core function, the ‘free interchange of ideas is necessary not only within its walls but with the world beyond as well,’" the report reads. "The monolithic ideological lean of the Yale faculty indicates that the university is falling short in that regard."
Context and Limitations
The report raises questions about ideological diversity in higher education and its potential effects on campus debate and public trust. The Buckley Institute's methods and data sources are summarized in its report; the institute did not immediately respond to additional requests for comment from Fox News Digital. Yale’s officials reiterated that the university’s institutional commitment is to substantive debate and academic freedom, regardless of any distribution of individual political affiliations.
Note: This article summarizes the Buckley Institute’s published findings and Yale’s response. It reports statements from both organizations and does not attempt to independently verify individual faculty members' political registrations.
