The Buckley Institute's 2026 National Undergraduate Student Survey reports that 45% of undergraduate students believe physical violence can be justified to stop what they deem to be hate speech. Dr. Gerson Moreno-Riaño, president of Cornerstone University, characterized the findings as a moral formation issue rather than a free speech matter, warning that higher education has lost its way.
The survey, conducted by Inquire LLC, polled 803 full-time undergraduate students under age 25 attending four-year public or private colleges and universities between September 5 and September 14. The data shows that support for using violence to stop hate speech varies by political affiliation, with 54% of liberals, 36% of moderates, and 30% of conservatives agreeing with the statement. Beyond physical violence, the study found that 46% of students support shout downs and 40% believe offensive speech should be subject to criminal prosecution.
The survey also measured students' views on economic systems and historical events. Forty-two percent said they would rather live under a socialist system, compared with 28% who chose a capitalist system. Additionally, 22% of respondents stated that the United States deserved the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Moreno-Riaño, who has led the private Christian university in Grand Rapids, Michigan, since 2021, told FOX News Digital that American colleges have ceased to form students morally, instead teaching resentment and grievance politics. He argued that graduates leave institutions with a sense of violent entitlement rather than a moral formation of their hearts and minds. Moreno-Riaño linked this ideological shift to employer concerns about the value of college degrees, suggesting that businesses may increasingly question hiring graduates in favor of training workers directly out of high school.
The president criticized higher education for becoming godless and developing an anti-history bent that fails to teach the evils of communism and socialism. He stated that when there is no moral compass in higher education, ideologies such as communism and socialism fill the vacuum. Moreno-Riaño warned that this combination of sharp minds without moral direction, particularly when combined with artificial intelligence, creates a dangerous situation for democracy. He emphasized that employers are seeing this trend and may shift their recruitment strategies to avoid hiring individuals who have been taught to resent rather than reason.
Moreno-Riaño concluded that American higher education must shift to take moral formation seriously and move away from entitlement and grievance culture. He stressed the need for individuals who can reason, deliberate, and speak with those with whom they disagree without seeking violent action. The survey results highlight a significant portion of the student body holding views that Moreno-Riaño believes undermine democratic values and workplace readiness.