Among the majority of colleges in the Washington, D.C., area that have improved in their standings with the Anti-Defamation League, American University stands out as a top scorer.
The private D.C. college is among the 58% of ADL’s assessed colleges and universities earning a top grade of “A” or “B” in 2026, in ADL’s third annual Campus Antisemitism Report Card, according to a March 10 press release.
“The DC region has always held its universities to a high standard, and this year’s results show that standard is making a difference,” Tali Cohen, ADL Washington’s regional director, said in the press release. “Seeing Elon University maintain its A grade and American University and Johns Hopkins earn A grades — and the meaningful progress we’re seeing across the region — is a testament to what sustained engagement and commitment can achieve.”
Grades are determined across 32 criteria in three areas: schools’ administrative policies, Jewish life on campus, and campus conduct and climate concerns, according to the press release.
“We are extremely proud of the progress that we’ve seen both nationally and in our region,” Cohen told Washington Jewish Week.
American University
American University improved from a “B” to an “A” — “ahead of the pack” — on ADL’s Campus Antisemitism Report Card from 2025 to 2026. AU passed all three assessment areas with flying colors.
AU is home to Hillel and Chabad student organizations, Jewish Greek life and a center for Israel studies. The report card noted the university’s rocky past with legal investigations, citing a January 2024 federal complaint to the United States Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights on an “onslaught of antisemitic incidents that had not been properly addressed” as well as a March 2025 letter from the DOE accusing the university — and 59 others — of violating Title VI.
The only unmet criteria in terms of AU’s administrative action is requiring antisemitism education for students, faculty and staff, according to ADL. In spring 2024, the university updated its required first-year course on race, social identity and structures of power to “better address antisemitism.” Prior to these changes, the course curriculum did not include discussion of anti-Jewish hate.
Experts from AU’s Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab are conducting faculty training on “how to disrupt hate, including antisemitism,” the report card reported.
AU earned a perfect score in Jewish life on campus, as the university is set to open a dedicated Hillel center on campus in spring 2027. AU’s only areas of concern per ADL are a high level of “hostile anti-Zionist student groups” and moderate level of antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents.
Georgetown University
Also a private D.C. university, Georgetown remained at a “B” — “better than most” — with excellent scores in administrative action and Jewish life, but high campus climate concerns.
Georgetown was flagged for high levels of “severe antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents” and “hostile anti-Zionist student government activity, student groups and staff and faculty activity.” In April, a Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign referendum passed in Georgetown’s student government with more than two-thirds of the vote, but the university administration publicly rejected the referendum within a half hour.
The school has notably launched mandatory educational training for the more than 700 leaders of student organizations about understanding and preventing discrimination, including antisemitism, according to the report card.
The only unmet criteria for administrative action is including antisemitism in the university’s code of conduct and policies.
George Washington University
George Washington University improved from a “C” to a “B” in 2026, with excellent administrative action and Jewish life on campus, but moderate campus climate concerns.
GW was flagged for a number of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist actions on campus by the report card. In May, Jewish students at GW filed a Title VI action alleging a “hostile educational environment,” and in August, the Department of Justice said it found GW in violation of civil rights law for “acting deliberately indifferent” to said “hostile educational environment.”
From 2025 to 2026, GW improved from “high” campus climate concerns to “medium.”
The university recently launched a comprehensive “Jewish life at GW” website. All new students at GW are required to complete a “Perspectives” training from the Constructive Dialogue Institute. The opening video on intercultural dialogue discusses antisemitism specifically. GW’s only missing administrative action in 2026 is mandatory antisemitism education for the GW community.
University of Maryland-College Park
UMD-College Park remained at a “C” — “corrections needed.” From 2025 to 2026, the public university improved in two areas: administrative action and campus climate, while remaining “excellent” regarding Jewish life on campus.
UMD was flagged for high levels of “hostile anti-Zionist student groups, student government activity, and staff and faculty activity,” according to the report card, as well as a moderate level of “other antisemitic and anti-Zionist incidents.”
One notable incident came in October, when UMD’s student government passed a BDS resolution on Yom Kippur, a holy day when many Jewish students were not able to vote. The following month, the student government association unanimously passed two anti-Israel resolutions, including one that called for the school to bar members of the Israel Defense Forces from speaking on campus.
UMD improved its administrative action rating by implementing civil discourse initiatives on campus and clear time, place and manner policies from 2025 to 2026.
George Mason University
George Mason University also remained at a “C,” although the Fairfax public university improved in the administrative action category. GMU scored above “expectations” and “excellent” in administrative action and Jewish life on campus respectively, with moderate concerns regarding campus climate.
The university was flagged for failure to adopt an official position against the BDS movement. The report card also noted high levels of “hostile anti-Zionist student groups, student government activity, and staff and faculty activity” on campus.
After suspending GMU’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine for violations of campus policies in December 2024, the school administration reinstated the student group in August, according to ADL.
In response to anti-Zionist activity on campus, GMU’s President Gregory Washington instructed the GMU Police Department to offer its services at no charge to Hillel to ensure that Jewish events aren’t disrupted. The police department also offers the option to escort Jewish students if they feel unsafe, the report card stated.
