Why college kids are abandoning Ivy Leagues to go to Southern schools

Students are abandoning Northeastern schools in favor of safe havens in the South, as tensions rise and anti-Israel hysteria grips elite Ivy League colleges. 

More prospective students are veering towards universities like Elon in North Carolina, Clemson in South Carolina and the University of Miami in Florida - away from the prestigious Northeastern Ivy Leagues.

The South's appeal? Better value, more freedom and a laid-back atmosphere with greater feelings of safety and decreasing fears of racism.

For Jewish students like Scott Katz, the escalation of antisemitism and anti-Israel demonstrations at campuses such as Columbia have reinforced his decision to enroll at Elon University in North Carolina. 

Katz says the surge of antisemitism pervading campuses nationwide, particularly elite colleges like Stanford and Berkeley, remains conspicuously absent at Elon. He told The Free Press he finds solace in its peaceful campus environment. 

College students are abandoning their Northeastern schools and finding a safe haven in the South - amid anti-Israel hysteria and rising tensions that are gripping prestigious universities (pictured: Elon University in North Carolina)

For Jewish students like Scott Katz (pictured), the escalation of antisemitism and anti-Israel demonstrations at campuses such as Columbia have reinforced his decision to enroll at Elon 

Bethal Miles, a 23-year-old resident of Chicago, chose to pursue his bachelor's degree in communications at the University of Southern Mississippi

'I haven't been affected by it at all,' Katz told The Free Press as he nears the end of his sophomore year. 'I definitely feel very safe on campus regarding my religion.'

He made the choice despite being a native of Lafayette Hill, a suburb of Philadelphia with a liberal leaning and hefty property price tags. 

Elon's position as one of only two universities in the country to get an A grade from the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for its policies protecting Jewish students against hate was key to his decision. 

The university has seen zero 'severe antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents' and zero 'hostile anti-Zionist student groups,' according to the ADL. 

'It was a big deal,' Katz says of the level of comfort he feels on campus.

'Even if I could've gotten into Harvard, I wouldn't have gone,' he said. 'I wanted a school that felt right for me, not someplace that we're told we're supposed to want to go.'

'Never before have we seen so much interest in colleges like Clemson, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina State,' the assistant vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions at Georgia Tech, Rick Clark, told The Free Press. 'That's just unprecedented.'

The pandemic-induced lockdown measures also impacted some parents and students' decision to seriously consider Southern schools.

'Kids up North were pretty unhappy during those COVID lockdown years,' Larry Glazer, father of a prospective college student, told the outlet. 

'And colleges down South were offering something different. My son and his friends would look at TikTok and see all these college kids going to football games, throwing parties, living their lives. It has an impact,' he added. 

More and more prospective students are veering towards universities like Elon in North Carolina , Clemson in South Carolina, and the University of Miami in Florida , and away from the prestigious Northeastern institutions

Doubt regarding the value of an Ivy League education is also a factor students are considering.

Yale alumna Julie Ketover is one student who has raised such concerns. 

'I don't know that the value of an Ivy League education is the same as it used to be. People ask me all the time, 'Would you do Yale again?' she said. 

'I would. I loved it. But it used to mean something to go to a really, really good school. I think it means less today. I'm working with clients in organizations that are hiring, and it really doesn't f—— matter to them where you went to college. You got your degree, and that's enough.' 

Bethal Miles, a 23-year-old resident of Chicago, chose to pursue his bachelor's degree in communications at the University of Southern Mississippi, despite its contentious past in the civil rights struggle.

With a minority enrollment of 38 percent among approximately 10,000 undergraduate students, Southern Miss still grapples with some issues around diversity and racism today. But the picture is overwhelmingly positive for Miles.

'Since day one, my classmates have made me feel welcome,' he told The Free Press. 'Other than the accents and their cowboy boots—that was wild to me, man. They wear cowboy boots everywhere—it was like I'd found my second home.' 

A trend showing students electing to avoid college in the hundreds of thousands has become increasingly prevalent since before the pandemic, with many choosing to take jobs amid fears of tuition and debt.

What first looked like a pandemic blip has turned into a crisis. Nationwide, undergraduate college enrollment dropped 8% from 2019 to 2022, with declines even after returning to in-person classes, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse.

The slide in the college-going rate since 2018 is the steepest on record, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many have turned to hourly jobs or careers that don´t require a degree, while others have been deterred by high tuition and the prospect of student debt. Economists say the impact could be dire.

At worst, it could signal a new generation with little faith in the value of a college degree. At minimum, it appears those who passed on college during the pandemic are opting out for good. Predictions that they would enroll after a year or two haven't borne out.

A rabbi at Columbia University has warned Jewish students about 'extreme antisemitism' on campus amid a days-long protest in support of Palestine

More than 100 protestors have been arrested, and 10 have been charged, mostly with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration

Rabbi Elie Buechler of the Columbia/Barnard Hillel issued the grim warning to students on Sunday morning

Fewer college graduates could worsen labor shortages in fields from health care to information technology.

For those who forgo college, it usually means lower lifetime earnings - 75 percent less compared with those who get bachelor´s degrees, according to Georgetown University´s Center on Education and the Workforce. And when the economy sours, those without degrees are more likely to lose jobs.

On top of that, the Israel-Hamas war has led to a nearly 400 percent increase in antisemitic incidents, according to an ADL report. 

Now, campus antisemitism is surging amid encampments and anti-Israel protests.

Columbia University has canceled all in-person classes amid escalating anti-Israel protests that have sparked fear among Jewish students - and a warning from a rabbi. 

Rabbi Elie Buechler of the Columbia/Barnard Hillel cautioned Jewish students against returning to campus due to 'extreme antisemitism' amid a days-long protest in support of Palestine. 

A trend showing students electing to avoid college in the hundreds of thousands has become increasingly prevalent since before the pandemic, with many choosing to take jobs amid fears of tuition and debt

Buechler encouraged students to consider staying home, writing, 'It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus'

On top of that, the Israel-Hamas war has led to a nearly 400 percent increase in antisemitic incidents, according to an ADL report. Now, campus antisemitism is surging amid encampments and anti-Israel protests 

'What we are witnessing in and around campus is terrible and tragic,' Buechler wrote.

'The events of the last few days, especially last night, have made it clear that Columbia University's Public Safety and the NYPD cannot guarantee Jewish students' safety in the face of extreme antisemitism and anarchy.'

Dozens of New York Police Department officers entered the 'Gaza solidarity camp' organized by student demonstrators on Wednesday.

More than 100 protestors were arrested, an NYPD spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com.

Ten have been charged so far, mostly with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.

A large group of demonstrators met outside the university gates on Saturday while student protestors returned to the main lawn, waving flags and chanting.

Buechler's statement came days after video surfaced showing a woman screaming 'We are Hamas!' while a man wearing a yarmulke and a Israeli flag on his back walked past.

As another man filmed the protestor and shoved his phone in her face, she repeated, 'Yes, we are all Hamas, b****!'

'It deeply pains me to say that I would strongly recommend you return home as soon as possible and remain home until the reality in and around campus has dramatically improved,' Buechler wrote.

'No one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school,' Buechler wrote in his message to students

Jewish students at the school have alleged violence and harassment amid the politically charged climate 

In a testimony before Congress , Columbia University President Nemat Shafik insisted her administration was working to combat antisemitism

'It is not our job as Jews to ensure our own safety on campus. No one should have to endure this level of hatred, let alone at school.'

The rabbi encouraged the students to reach out to him for help and ended the message: 'May we see better days on campus soon.'

President Minouche Shafik on Monday said she was 'saddened' by the situation and that the school 'needed a reset'.

The Egyptian-born academic added that tensions have been 'exploited and amplified by individuals who are not affiliated with Columbia', warning they are pursuing their own agenda.

In a testimony before Congress , the Columbia University President insisted her administration was working to combat antisemitism