The University “Backbone” List (2025–2026)

Refused the Compact (fought or walked away)

Harvard – Took a $2.2B funding freeze, sued instead of negotiating, and won. Funds were restored in Sept 2025. Short-term disruption, but no federal monitor and no government oversight of academics.

MIT – First to formally say no, arguing science should be based on merit, not political loyalty.

UPenn – Rejected the Compact in Oct 2025; leadership called the funding threats an attempt to censor ideas.

Brown – Rejected the deal alongside Penn and USC.

USC – Refused the Compact in Oct 2025.

Dartmouth – Walked away late 2025, saying academic freedom wasn’t for sale.

University of Arizona – Also walked away late 2025 on academic freedom grounds.

Settled (money back, strings attached)

Columbia – Paid $221M to unfreeze $400M; accepted a federal monitor and government review of parts of Middle Eastern studies.

Northwestern – Paid $75M to restore $790M; scrapped the Deering Meadow agreement and adopted administration-defined gender rules for housing and sports.

Cornell – Paid $60M ($30M to Treasury, $30M to “patriotic” ag research) to end investigations and recover $250M.

Princeton – Regained $1.3B after placing Middle Eastern studies under “academic receivership,” giving the government a seat in that department.

Complied early / voluntarily

UT Austin – Publicly said it was “honored” to comply with the new rules.

UVA – Eliminated DEI programs entirely in exchange for DOJ investigations being dropped.

Pressured, but no public settlement or federal monitor

Stanford – Quiet resistance with selective internal changes; no lawsuit, no settlement.

Yale – Warning letters and scrutiny, but held position procedurally without settling.

UC Berkeley – Partial compliance on admin structure, rejected outside academic oversight.

UCLA – Negotiated early, adjusted policies to avoid escalation.

University of Michigan – Internal restructuring tied to DEI and funding disclosures.

NYU – Policy audits and compliance changes to contain risk.

George Washington University – Rapid internal adjustments tied to international studies scrutiny.