There Is No Unicorn University

At a recent event, Princeton professor Robert P. George was asked whether the distinctive model of College of the Ozarks—a Christian college where students work while enrolled and graduate debt-free—might offer the best solution to the rising cost of higher education.

His response was simple: I am an “academic pluralist.”

Professor George explained that he does not believe there is “one single uniquely correct model for colleges and universities.” The success of College of the Ozarks demonstrates the strength of its distinctive mission—not the need for every college to adopt the same model. The same is true of Great Books colleges, research universities, technical institutes, faith-based colleges, and community colleges. Each exists to serve different students and different educational purposes.

That insight helps explain one of the enduring strengths of American higher education: American colleges have never converged around a single model. Instead, they have long pursued different visions of educational excellence. Students drawn to a Great Books college, a technical institute, a flagship public university, or a faith-based college are often seeking fundamentally different educational experiences.

Those differences are not flaws in the system—they are among its greatest strengths.

As Professor George observed, “I like seeing all this experimentation.” But, he continued, that experimentation should not be directed toward discovering “the uniquely correct way that we can then all do it, because I don’t think there is such a thing.”

The strength of American higher education lies not in uniformity but in the freedom of institutions to pursue excellence according to their own missions. Uniformity would make American higher education less innovative, less responsive to students, and ultimately less excellent.

This principle has important implications for philanthropy.

Too often, higher education reform is framed as a search for the next model to replicate nationwide. Academic pluralism suggests a different approach. Rather than asking which institution every college should imitate, donors should ask which institutions are fulfilling their missions with distinction—and how those distinctive strengths can be sustained.

For one donor, that may mean supporting the affordability model of College of the Ozarks. For another, it may mean strengthening a Great Books program, investing in a center dedicated to civic education, or advancing the mission of a faith-based institution. These investments are not competing visions of higher education. Together, they preserve the institutional diversity that has long distinguished the American system.

This conviction lies at the heart of ACTA’s work. Through initiatives such as Oases of Excellence and Hidden Gems, ACTA identifies and celebrates outstanding programs wherever they are found. Excellence is not confined to one type of institution or one educational philosophy. Through the Fund for Academic Renewal, ACTA helps connect donors with institutions that remain true to their distinctive missions, strengthening the academic pluralism that has long defined American higher education.

George concluded his answer with a memorable observation: the search for a single perfect model of higher education “is like the unicorn—it doesn’t exist.”

Fortunately, it doesn’t need to. America’s colleges do not need to become more alike. They need the freedom, and the support, to become more fully themselves. When donors invest in institutions that are faithful to their distinctive missions and committed to academic excellence, they help preserve the academic pluralism that has made American higher education one of the world’s most innovative and dynamic systems.

This piece was originally published by The College Donor Digest on July 7, 2026.

Since 1995, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) has championed academic excellence, academic freedom, and accountability in higher education. To further these goals, ACTA established the Fund for Academic Renewal (FAR), a specialized program designed to give higher education donors confidence that their gifts advance the best in American universities. FAR has advised on $275 million in higher education giving, helping donors maximize the impact of their philanthropy through personalized consultation, careful review of gift agreements, and expert guidance through the complexities of university giving.