Mandatory DEI Ambush at 67% of Colleges

June 15, 2026

Group of graduates joyfully throwing their caps in front of an American flag

Two out of every three colleges in America now require students to take a diversity, equity, and inclusion course just to earn a diploma — and many students and parents have no idea it’s happening.

Story Snapshot

A 2024 report found that 165 out of 248 colleges reviewed — about 67% — require at least one DEI-related course to graduate.
Some California State University campuses require two DEI courses: one focused on domestic issues and one on global issues.
Critics call the mandates ideological pressure; supporters say they are standard academic breadth requirements, no different from math or writing courses.
The debate raises a bigger question: who decides what values students must study to earn a degree they’re paying tens of thousands of dollars for?

What the Report Actually Found

Speech First, a free-speech advocacy group, reviewed 248 colleges and universities across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Their 2024 report found that 165 of those schools — roughly two-thirds — require students to complete at least one DEI-related course as a condition of graduation. ^[4] The report titled “No Graduation Without Indoctrination” argues that these are not optional electives. They are built into degree requirements that every student must fulfill, regardless of their major or personal beliefs.

The requirements show up in different forms. Some schools embed DEI content inside general education learning outcomes. Others list specific approved courses students must choose from. A few, like some California State University campuses, require two separate DEI courses — one focused on the United States and one with a global lens. ^[5] The University of California, San Diego states directly on its website that “a knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion is required of all candidates for a Bachelor’s degree.” ^[11]

The Case Against Mandatory DEI Courses

Critics argue that requiring students to take courses built around a specific ideological framework crosses a line. The Goldwater Institute, a conservative policy group, describes DEI as “an ideology that promotes race-based discrimination” and calls the 67% figure alarming. ^[8] The core concern is straightforward: when a student must complete coursework tied to a particular worldview just to receive a diploma, the university is no longer just teaching skills — it is setting terms for what students must be exposed to, whether they agree with it or not.

This concern cuts across party lines for many families. Parents paying $30,000, $50,000, or more per year in tuition and fees reasonably expect that money to go toward career preparation. When required credit hours go toward DEI coursework instead of courses in a student’s field, some see it as a poor trade. Students who object to the content have little recourse — skip the course, and you don’t graduate. That’s a hard choice to put on a 20-year-old.

The Case for Keeping the Requirements

Supporters of DEI course mandates argue this debate is not new. For decades, colleges have required students to take courses outside their major — writing, math, science, history, and cultural diversity. The argument is that a well-rounded education includes understanding the society students will enter after graduation. From this view, DEI coursework is simply the latest version of a “breadth requirement,” not a loyalty test. No evidence in the available research shows that any school requires students to personally agree with DEI principles to pass.

Why This Debate Matters Beyond Campus

The fight over DEI course mandates reflects a much larger tension in American life. Millions of people on both the left and the right feel that powerful institutions — including universities — have stopped serving ordinary people and started serving their own agendas. For conservatives, mandatory DEI courses look like proof that elite institutions push a political agenda under the cover of education. For some on the left, the backlash against DEI looks like an attack on efforts to make campuses more fair and welcoming for everyone.

What both sides can likely agree on is this: students and families deserve full transparency about what a degree actually requires — and why. If a course is truly valuable, universities should be able to defend it on its merits, not simply mandate it and move on. As college costs keep rising and more Americans question whether a four-year degree is worth the price, how schools use required credit hours will face more scrutiny, not less. The institutions that ignore that scrutiny do so at their own risk.