New Survey: Four in 10 Jewish College Students Report Experiencing Antisemitism

Eight in 10 parents of Jewish high school students say reports of campus antisemitism affect college choices

American Jewish Committee (AJC) and Hillel International are releasing new data today detailing how American Jewish college students are changing how they engage with peers and show up on campus related to their experiences with antisemitism. As part of AJC's State of Antisemitism in America 2025 Report, AJC and Hillel International partnered to document Jewish students' experiences during their time on campus. The report details how current and recent American Jewish college and university students - including those who have been students in the past two years - are experiencing antisemitism, both inside and outside of the classroom.

For the four in 10 (42%) Jewish students who reported experiencing antisemitism during their time in school, 55% say they have felt uncomfortable or unsafe at a campus event because of their Jewish identity. By contrast only 9% of Jewish students who did not report experiencing antisemitism felt uncomfortable or unsafe at campus events, with 28% of all Jewish college students reporting feeling uncomfortable or unsafe.

In total, one-third (34%) of all Jewish college and university students say they have avoided displaying their Jewish identity due to fear of antisemitism. Additionally, students who report experiencing antisemitism are far more likely to report changing behaviors out of fear of antisemitism: six in 10 (60%) say they have avoided wearing, carrying, or displaying things that would identify them as Jewish, compared to 16% of Jewish students who did not report experiencing antisemitism during their time on campus. Nearly four in 10 (38%) of all Jewish students say they have avoided expressing their views on Israel on campus or with classmates. This increases to nearly seven in 10 (68%) among students who experienced antisemitism on campus. Seventeen percent of students who did not experience antisemitism during their time as a college student say they have self-censored on Israel due to fears of antisemitism.

When looking at campus antisemitism from an institutional standpoint, 32% of Jewish college students say that they have felt that student life and/or student activities have promoted antisemitism or fueled a learning environment that is hostile to Jews. One-quarter (25%) of all Jewish college students say they have felt or been excluded from a group or an event on campus because they are Jewish.

Nearly seven in 10 (69%) of all Jewish college students say that caring about Israel is important to what being Jewish means to them and three-quarters (76%) say that the statement "Israel has no right to exist" is antisemitic.

"While we welcome the fact that the vast majority of campuses have not been disrupted by uncontrolled protests in the past year, the data make clear that Jewish students are still experiencing antisemitism on their campuses," said Dr. Laura Shaw Frank, Vice President, AJC Center for Education Advocacy. "This survey gives us a critical look into the less visible, but no less important problems, that Jews face on campus. Understanding the ways in which Jews are being excluded and changing their behavior out of fear of antisemitism is vitally important as we work with institutions of higher education to create truly inclusive campus communities."

"No Jewish student should have to hide their identity out of fear of antisemitism, yet that's the reality for too many students today," said Adam Lehman, President and CEO of Hillel International. "Our work on the ground every day is focused on changing that reality by creating environments where all Jewish students can find welcoming Hillel communities and can fully and proudly express their Jewish identities without fear or concern."

Critically, the vast majority (80%) of parents of Jewish high school students say that reports of antisemitism on campus are at least somewhat important in deciding where their student will attend college.

AJC's Center for Education Advocacy and Hillel International are working to address these issues through engagement with college and university presidents, campus administrators, and faculty across the country. In addition to their ongoing engagement, AJC and Hillel also partnered with the American Council on Education (ACE) to hold two summits for college and university presidents, bringing together thought leaders in American higher education from across the country to discuss confronting antisemitism on campus.

The surveys of American Jews and U.S. adults were conducted for the nonpartisan American Jewish Committee by the independent research firm SSRS. The Jewish American survey collected data from a nationally representative sample of 1,222 Jews, ages 18 or older from September 26 - October 29, 2025. The U.S. adult survey collected data from a nationally representative sample of 1,033 general population adults, 18 or older, from October 3 - October 5, 2025, via the SSRS Omnibus Opinion Panel . The margin of error for Jewish respondents is +/-3.7 percentage points and for total U.S. adult respondents is +/-3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

About American Jewish Committee (AJC)

American Jewish Committee (AJC) is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people, creating trusted partnerships with leaders around the world to ensure Jews and Israel are safe and thriving. Through 40 offices and dozens of partnerships with Jewish communities worldwide, AJC engages leaders in more than 110 countries, empowering those in government, education, partner communities, and the private sector to counter antisemitism and act as allies. For more, please visit www.ajc.org .

About Hillel International

Hillel International is the world's largest Jewish campus organization, serving more than 180,000 students and young adults each year on more than 850 college and university campuses. With 1,200 Hillel professionals supporting Jewish students in the U.S. and 15 other countries across the globe, Hillel is uniquely positioned to pursue its mission of enriching the lives of Jewish students so that they may enrich the Jewish future, and the world.

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