On October 6, the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal released a report on civics requirements in college and secondary education across all 50 states. Worried about growing civic ignorance and political polarization, more states are requiring high schools and colleges to teach civics: the history, institutions, and traditions that form America’s political system. The Martin Center’s report found that 14 of 50 states require students to take a civics class in order to graduate from public universities.
But is this making a difference?
Since 2009, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni’s (ACTA) What Will They Learn?® (WWTL) initiative has collected data on which colleges require students to take a course on American history or government. Though ACTA’s latest WWTL data date from before some of the civics mandates in the Martin Center’s report were established and other listed requirements have yet to take effect, they still provide a roughly accurate picture of the current situation. We found that 16% (54 out of 341) of public institutions in the states that do not mandate a civics course—as identified in the Martin Center report—require a course in American history or government on their own initiative. In contrast, 78% (118 out of 152) of public colleges and universities in states with a mandate do require such a course.
While 78% is a significant improvement compared to states without a requirement, it is wrong to assume that 100% of colleges and universities subject to a mandate will eventually require an adequate class. Some institutions simply ignore state-level policies, though the frequency of noncompliance varies across different states. For example, WWTL’s analysis of government and history requirements from the 2025–2026 academic year at universities in North Carolina and South Carolina, which both mandate public institutions to require a civics course, reveals that 83% of schools in the latter state (10 out of 12) have a U.S. government or history requirement, compared to only 20% (3 out of 15) in North Carolina.
The reason for the discrepancy is clear: Unlike South Carolina’s civics requirement, the Reclaiming College Education on America’s Constitutional Heritage (REACH) Act, North Carolina’s requirement was established by the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and lacks provisions for monitoring universities’ compliance. Thus, North Carolina’s Elizabeth City State University was able simply to designate a pre-existing world history class with a slightly modified description to satisfy the requirement. It does not meet WWTL’s standards for an American government or history course.
The Martin Center’s report concludes with a series of policy recommendations, many of which focus on solving compliance problems. Some of these include requiring students to pass a civics exam prior to graduation, having administrators regularly survey students’ knowledge, and adopting standards from the REACH Act, which not only compels public universities to require a civics course but also sets compliance standards.
These recommendations would help improve collegiate civic education. But much work remains. Through its Civic Education Initiative, ACTA continues to urge legislators and universities to make sure all students have a sound knowledge of America’s political tradition.