Why Conservatives Avoid the Lovely Ivory Tower on the Left Bank

Regarding Naomi Schaefer Riley's "The Ivory Tower Leans Left, But Why?" (Taste, Feb. 29): The shortage of conservatives in academia is a complicated phenomenon. Trying to unravel the intertwining economic and social forces that contribute to the left's dominance on college campuses is made all the more difficult by the tendency among those on the left and the right to criticize findings that do not comport with their ideological preconceptions.

As we explained to Ms. Riley during our interview, we believe that the main obstacle to academia for family-oriented college students is the path to the doctoral degree itself. Students who, as college seniors, place a high priority on raising a family do not welcome an additional five to seven years of schooling, nor do they relish a crowded job market wherein many graduates fail to secure an academic position. This observation is based on surveys of over 15,000 college seniors.

Continue reading your article with
a WSJ membership

View Membership Options

Resume Subscription

We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription.


Please click confirm to resume now.