Harvard Celebrates Second Consecutive C in ADL Antisemitism Report

Office of Strategic Narrative Management
Division of Proactive Reputation Stewardship

A Joint Initiative of the Office of the President and the Office of Communications and Public Affairs · Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts

For Immediate ReleaseMonday, March 10, 2026 Issued ByOffice of Strategic Narrative Management, on behalf of the Collective ContactSee below

For Immediate Release

Harvard Earns Second Consecutive C in ADL Antisemitism Report Card, Hails “Remarkable Consistency”

Administration celebrates sustained performance as 58 percent of peer institutions improve; University notes that stability, too, is a form of progress and that the letter C has been, historically, associated with passing.

Cambridge, Mass. — Harvard University today welcomed the release of the ADL’s 2026 Campus Antisemitism Report Card and expressed deep satisfaction with the University’s second consecutive C grade.

The University received a C in 2025, improving dramatically from an F the year prior, and has now consolidated those historic gains with a second C in 2026. University officials noted that the sustained C represents the longest uninterrupted period of non-F performance in the Report Card’s three-year history, a record Harvard shares with Cornell University, which also received its second consecutive C despite agreeing to a $60 million federal payout.

“Consistency is itself a form of excellence. When one considers how far we have come from where we were — and we have come quite far, from an F, which is further than it sounds — it would be hasty, and frankly unfair, to characterize two consecutive C’s as anything other than what they are: two consecutive C’s.” — Dr. Pemberton Welles-Ashworth, Interim Vice Provost for Institutional Affirmation and Narrative Calibration

The 2026 Report Card assessed 150 colleges and universities across 32 criteria, with 58 percent of institutions nationally earning A or B grades, up from 41 percent in 2025. Harvard officials acknowledged this trend while noting that a rising tide does not obligate all boats to rise, and that some boats have commitments, histories, and pending federal litigation that make rapid grade improvement a complex proposition.

The University took particular pride in its principled approach to the grade. Several peer institutions settled antisemitism-related federal investigations and received significant grade improvements in the process. Harvard noted that it had pursued a different path: one characterized by resistance to federal pressure, ongoing litigation, and an unchanging C. “We chose not to buy our grade,” said one senior administrator who asked not to be named because the statement required some additional thought before being attributed.

“The C is ours. We earned it through our own efforts, in our own time, on our own terms. That means something. We believe it means something. We are continuing to assess the extent to which it means something and will report back.” — University spokesperson, statement provided in writing after a brief delay

Harvard also addressed the position of the C within the national distribution. Of 150 institutions assessed, 51 received a C grade in 2026, placing Harvard solidly in the third tier of a five-tier system. The administration noted that 12 schools received a D or F. “Context matters,” said Dr. Welles-Ashworth. “And the context here is that we are not those schools.”

The Office of Strategic Narrative Management also released a supplementary table comparing Harvard’s three-year grade trajectory (F, C, C) favorably to a hypothetical institution that received three consecutive F’s, describing the comparison as “instructive.” The table was not made available to this publication but is understood to be available upon request from the Office, Mondays between 11 a.m. and noon, by appointment only.

The University concluded its statement by reaffirming its commitment to Jewish students, to the process of assessing that commitment, to communicating about that process, and to the importance of all three. A follow-up statement is expected. The timing of the follow-up statement has not been determined. The Office of Strategic Narrative Management said it was hopeful.

About Harvard University Harvard University is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, established 1636. It is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States and has been the subject of federal antisemitism investigations, a $2.2 billion funding freeze, a Presidential Task Force report described by independent observers as “stunning,” and two consecutive C grades from the ADL. Harvard remains committed to Veritas.

About the Office of Strategic Narrative Management The Office of Strategic Narrative Management was established pursuant to a reorganization of the Office of Communications and Public Affairs following a period of communications challenges. Its mandate is to ensure that Harvard’s institutional narrative reflects the University’s values, aspirations, and preferred interpretation of available data. The Office operates under the joint oversight of the Office of the President and the Division of Proactive Reputation Stewardship. It is fully staffed. It is doing its best.

Media Contact Office of Strategic Narrative Management · Division of Proactive Reputation Stewardship
Harvard University · Massachusetts Hall · Cambridge, MA 02138
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Media inquiries are acknowledged within 5–7 business days. Responses are provided at the University’s discretion. The University reserves the right to decline comment on matters it is still assessing.

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