The Trump administration has set Columbia University in its crosshairs saying that the school has failed to meet accreditation standards because of its failure to protect Jewish students.
The United States Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced that it had contacted the Middle States Commission on Higher Education – an accrediting body – about Columbia’s alleged breach of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
The department, led by Linda McMahon, said that on May 22, 2025, the university failed to, “failed to meaningfully protect Jewish students against severe and pervasive harassment on Columbia’s campus and consequently denied these students’ equal access to educational opportunities to which they are entitled under the law.”
The agency said that the school “no longer appears” to meet accreditation standards because of these allegations.
Columbia issued its own statement on its website saying that the school is aware of the allegations, is working with the Middle States Commission, and is committed to fighting antisemitism on its campus.
Thus far, targeting elite universities has been a hallmark of the Trump administration. On Wednesday, the president restricted foreign student visas at Harvard. Last week, he threatened to freeze $3B in research funding at the university. The White House also issued a letter to federal agencies instructing them to review $100M in government contracts with Harvard and to find other vendors. The school was also accused of failing to address antisemitism.
If Columbia loses accreditation, it won’t bode well for the university nor the students. For students to have access to federal money, including loans and grants, the school must be in good standing.
The Middle States Commission has said that it received the letter from the government, but does not have any comment at this time.
Columbia said it has addressed the issue with Middle States.
