Exclusive | Telling poll reveals how parents really feel about colleges prioritizing race, allowing transgender girls in sports

Parents want colleges and universities to place less of an emphasis on race in scholarship awards or staffing decisions — and overwhelmingly believe transgender competitors should be kept out of women’s sports, a new poll shared with The Post found.

A firm 54% of American parents with children between the ages of 15 and 21 oppose university policies of prioritizing race on certain scholarships, and 57% oppose hiring decisions made with a racial preference, according to a survey commissioned by Defending Education, a conservative nonprofit advocacy group.

On transgenderism, 60% of respondents said they don’t believe transgender competitors should be allowed into women’s sports, and 61% want women’s bathrooms to be reserved for biological females.

“It’s no surprise that American parents and students expect a college experience that is academically rigorous, open to diverse viewpoints, and focused on preparing graduates for meaningful careers,” Paul Runko, Defending Education’s director of strategic initiatives for K-12, told The Post.

“Colleges and universities should take note when families express concern about campus climates — calling for environments free from political extremism, ideological agendas, antisemitism, and campus disruptions.”

Asked about institutions that have graduation ceremonies that are only open to students of a particular race, 57% said they are opposed to that.

Across the board on many culture war issues, parents appeared uneasy with some of the politically fraught practices in colleges and universities across the country, the survey indicated.

Over the past two years, anti-Israel protests have swept campuses across the country amid the Israel-Hamas war, leading to fierce debates over how administrators should respond.

Sixty-seven percent of parents believe colleges and universities should implement antisemitism bias training for faculty and staff.

They also backed higher education institutions that discipline students for disrupting campus activities, 69% to 25%.

Parents also generally expressed support for increased transparency in higher education.

An overwhelming 82% want colleges to divulge foreign funding. A hefty 79% said that colleges and universities should prioritize American applicants over foreign ones in the admission process.

Most of the parents surveyed either have or plan on having their children enroll in college. Only 11% said their children won’t attend college and 7% were unsure.

The survey was taken between May 9–15 and sampled over 1,000 parents with children between the ages of 15 and 21. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

Of parents surveyed, 43% considered themselves Republicans, 21% Independents and 34% Democrats.