Survey Reveals Shift in Student Attitudes Towards Violence and Free Speech
A new survey shows that nearly half of college students believe that physical violence can be acceptable to counter what they consider “hate speech.” This comes as one university president expresses concern that higher education has wandered off course.
According to the Buckley Institute’s 2026 National Undergraduate Student Survey, 45% of undergraduates think violence is justified in response to hate speech. The breakdown is quite telling: 54% of liberal students, 36% of moderates, and 30% of conservatives share this belief.
The research also uncovered that 46% of respondents support shout downs, while 40% think that offensive speech should face criminal prosecution. Furthermore, 42% indicated a preference for a socialist system over a capitalist one, which was chosen by just 28%. Alarmingly, 22% of students went so far as to suggest that the U.S. deserved the September 11 attacks.
Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, the president of Cornerstone University, called these responses indicative of a deeper “moral formation issue,” rather than purely a free speech dilemma. He has warned of a growing sense of “violent entitlement” among students.
Concerns Over Higher Education Values
Moreno-Riaño highlighted how colleges, for too long, have stopped instilling strong moral values in students, instead fostering resentment and grievance-oriented politics. According to him, this trend means that graduates leave schools with an attitude of entitlement rather than a well-formed moral grounding.
Employers, he noted, are increasingly worried about the output of universities, not only due to some degrees being deemed “worthless” but also because of the mindset many graduates carry. He stated, “We’re training individuals who are prone to grievance, anger, and even violence against opposing views, which is troubling.” He argues this doesn’t bode well for democracy.
Moreno-Riaño, who has been leading the private Christian institution in Grand Rapids, Michigan, since 2021, emphasized that higher education has arguably lost its moral compass over the years, leading to what he sees as a “godless” environment.
He went on to state that when moral guidance fades from education, it creates a vacuum filled by ideologies that aren’t necessarily beneficial, mentioning communism and socialism as potential dangers. He voiced concerns that today’s students may not fully grasp the historical consequences of such systems, which signals a troubling academic and moral decline.
Moreno-Riaño pointed out a shift where employers might question the value of college degrees, suggesting some might opt to train workers right out of high school instead. He sees the rise of “worthless degrees” and ideological bias as reasons for this potential change in hiring practices.
“It seems that some employers are realizing this and considering alternative pathways for education,” he noted. He further highlighted that many colleges are producing graduates inclined to destructively criticize the system rather than improve it.
He believes that the combination of sharp minds lacking moral guidance represents a significant risk. “A brilliant mind without ethical grounding is like a weapon in search of a target,” he added, stressing the importance of critical thinking and deliberation in a healthy democracy.
As the Buckley Institute survey was conducted, 803 full-time undergraduate students under the age of 25 from various public and private colleges participated. The survey was completed online between September 5 and September 14.
