A new pro-life report alleges that more than 100 Christian colleges and universities in the United States maintain connections to Planned Parenthood or other entities associated with the abortion industry, with support for the organization rising nearly 20% since 2022.
The findings come from the 2025 Christian Schools Project conducted by Students for Life of America’s Demetree Institute for Pro-Life Advancement. Researchers examined 725 colleges and universities “affiliated with Christ-centered denominations that publicly claim a historical Christian foundation.”
The review excluded denominations that openly support abortion, including Disciples of Christ, United Church of Christ, Quaker and Moravian.
According to the report, 114 institutions — more than one in seven Christian schools — were found to have some form of relationship with the abortion industry or directly with Planned Parenthood.
The study states that backing for Planned Parenthood among Christian institutions has grown by 19.82% since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning Roe v. Wade and determining that the Constitution does not guarantee a right to abortion.
Researchers evaluated school websites for various “infraction” categories, including advertising internships with abortion providers, listing Planned Parenthood as a health or pregnancy resource, promoting related volunteer events, incorporating abortion industry materials into coursework or expressing explicit support for abortion.
Violations were identified in just over half of the denominations surveyed — 12 of 22 in total. Schools affiliated with Methodism accounted for nearly 37% of all infractions, the largest share among denominations. Catholic institutions comprised just under 25% of infractions, despite the Catholic Church’s longstanding opposition to abortion.
The report assigned grades ranging from A-plus — awarded to institutions with no infractions and active promotion of local pregnancy centers — to F for schools with four or more infractions. Forty-seven schools received failing grades.
American University in Washington, D.C., recorded the highest number of infractions in 2025, totaling 34.
Duke University in North Carolina, also affiliated with Methodism, was cited for 27 infractions. Dickinson College in Pennsylvania, another Methodist-affiliated institution, and Macalester College in Minnesota, affiliated with PC(USA), each recorded 23 infractions. Rhodes College in Tennessee, also tied to PC(USA), was cited for 20.
Hope College in Michigan, affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, had 14 infractions, including listing abortion counselor as a potential career path for sociology students.
At the same time, the report noted improvement in some areas. The number of schools earning an A-plus grade increased by nearly 14% compared to 2024.
Among the 25 institutions newly receiving top marks were Benedictine College in Kansas, Liberty University in Virginia and the University of Mary in North Dakota, which provide resources such as housing for pregnant students or partnerships with pregnancy resource organizations like Standing With You.
Researchers also reported that as many as 50 ties between Christian colleges and Planned Parenthood were severed between 2024 and 2025 “thanks to interventions and awareness facilitated by the Christian Schools Project.”
