In the spring of 2026, ACTA surveyed over 3,000 college and university students on basic knowledge of American history and government. Our data shows that far too many students are earning college degrees without a rudimentary knowledge of the nation’s history and civic structure. This is the third of three such surveys that ACTA has conducted since 2024 and builds on a key part of ACTA’s 30-year mission to ensure that all American college students complete a course on U.S. history and government that prepares them for informed citizenship.
“The continued dismal performance of our nation’s undergraduates is a damning indictment and a sure sign that higher education has abdicated a fundamental responsibility,” said ACTA President Michael Poliakoff. “Our free institutions did not last for centuries and become the envy of the world by accident; each generation is responsible for passing along and building upon what came before it. This survey once again serves as a clarion call. American students have told us loud and clear that they cannot and will not uphold and defend what they do not comprehend. Yet, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great republic, American colleges and universities continue to graduate students shockingly unprepared for the demands of citizenship.”
Launched in 1995, we are the only organization that works with alumni, donors, trustees, and education leaders across the United States to support liberal arts education, uphold high academic standards, safeguard the free exchange of ideas on campus, and ensure that the next generation receives an intellectually rich, high-quality college education at an affordable price.
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