By Sharon Wisch-Ray
The University of North Texas received a D in the Anti-Defamation League’s 2026 Campus Antisemitism Report Card, released March 10, marking the first time the Denton university has been evaluated in the national assessment.
The report, now in its third year, reviewed 150 colleges and universities across 32 criteria, including administrative policies, campus climate and Jewish life. While overall grades are improving nationwide, UNT received the lowest grade among Texas schools included this year.
“At a time when 83% of Jewish college students have experienced or witnessed antisemitism since October 7, 2023, and only 27% feel comfortable sharing their views on Israel, it is critical that university leaders take concrete action to protect Jewish students,” said Alex Horn, regional director of ADL Texoma.
Horn emphasized the report is intended as a starting point for improvement, not a final judgment.
“This is not meant to be a gotcha moment,” she said. “This is an opportunity for us to work together — to put policies in place and ensure that Jewish students are safe.”
Nationwide, the report shows significant progress. The percentage of schools earning A or B grades rose from 23.5% in 2024 to 58% in 2026, and nearly half of institutions assessed last year improved their grades. ADL attributed those gains to clearer policies, stronger enforcement and increased collaboration with campus and community partners.
UNT was included in this year’s report based in part on reported incidents and the size and activity of Jewish life on campus. The university is supported by Hillels of North Texas, Chabad and Jewish Greek life organizations, as well as the only Jewish Studies program at a public university in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
ADL representatives said they attempted multiple times to engage university administrators during the evaluation process but were unable to connect. Universities are given a 30-day window after publication to provide additional information or implement changes that could improve their grade.
Horn said ADL is now working with campus and community partners, including Hillel North Texas, to schedule a meeting with UNT leadership.
“We want this to be a partnership,” she said. “We stand ready to work alongside campus administrators and the broader community to ensure every student can thrive without fear of discrimination or hate.”
The report card evaluates not only incidents of antisemitism but also how universities respond — including whether policies are clearly outlined, enforced and communicated to students.
Recent incidents at UNT cited by ADL include disruptions of a pro-Israel campus event in April 2024, an art installation in February 2025 that included antisemitic imagery and messaging, and threatening messages sent to a Jewish student in April 2025. In October 2025, a student group hosted a “Week of Rage” marking the anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Justice opened an investigation into alleged antisemitism at UNT in March 2025.
Other Texas and regional schools included in the report received higher marks, including Rice University and the University of Houston, both of which improved to B grades. The University of Texas at Austin maintained its B grade. Texas A&M University and the University of Oklahoma each received a C, the same as the prior year.
While UNT’s grade was the lowest among those schools, Horn noted that most have participated in the report card for multiple years, giving them more time to implement improvements.
“This is a starting point,” she said. “We’ve seen schools improve from Ds and Cs to Bs and As over time.”
A companion national survey released by ADL underscores the ongoing challenges. Nearly half of non-Jewish students reported witnessing or experiencing anti-Jewish behavior in the past year, and a similar percentage expressed at least one antisemitic attitude — findings that suggest policy improvements have not yet fully translated into student experience.
Horn said the goal of the report card is to help close that gap.
“This is a tool,” she said. “Not an endpoint.”
The ADL Campus Antisemitism Report Card is available at https://www.adl.org/campus-antisemitism-report-card. To learn more about the Texas schools rated, search Texas or the name of the School.
