Students — and by extension, university and college campuses — are often thought of as fertile ground for animal advocacy. However, a study by Allied Scholars for Animal Protection reveals a concerning decline in animal advocacy activity on U.S. university campuses. The research, which examined the top 100 American universities as ranked by U.S. News, found that while many institutions had active animal rights organizations in the past decade, very few are currently active. This decline leaves a gap in efforts to educate students about animal welfare and veganism.

The study highlights a widespread inactivity, with only 16% of the top 100 universities currently maintaining an active animal advocacy group. Fewer than 10% of these universities held more than a single event in the first five months of 2023. The study defines an animal rights event as any organized action intended to educate non-activists about farm or laboratory animal exploitation and encourage actions such as adopting veganism or reducing animal product consumption. Events focused solely on the environment, healthy living, or plant-based cooking without addressing animal exploitation were excluded from this definition.

Of the active universities, most hosted just one or two events per semester. The situation is particularly dire among the top 10 universities, where 70% reported no animal rights activism, and none held more than two events in Spring 2023. 

To better understand how to build a more effective and sustainable campus animal advocacy movement, the study examined other successful campus organizing models. Examples include the Federalist Society, which has grown to over 200 law school chapters and more than 60,000 members in just 41 years, and Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ), a global evangelical Christian organization with over 1,700 chapters and annual revenue exceeding $600 million. Other models studied include the Good Food Institute’s Alt Protein Project, which establishes student groups to create a talent pipeline for the alternative protein industry. Another example is the Effective Altruism Community Building initiative, which has invested over $290 million in movement building since 2012 and fostered the growth of over 300 groups globally. These successful models share several key elements: 

• Centralized structure with consistent branding 
• On-the-ground organizing by student leaders or paid staff 
• Standardized education or fellowship programs 
• Regular conferences and event
• Professional networking opportunities

Despite the challenges of promoting veganism — a lifestyle practiced by less than 5% of Americans — and operating with limited funding, the study suggests there is significant untapped potential on college campuses. The researchers estimate that at a large state university with 35,000 students, there might be 500 students receptive to animal rights arguments and interested in activism or impactful careers. Even at smaller elite schools, this could translate to 50 potential advocates, a meaningful number for the animal advocacy movement.

The study also surveyed several animal advocacy professionals about their experiences with campus activism. Most respondents rated the current effectiveness of campus animal rights activism below 5 on a scale of 1 to 10, while rating its importance at 9/10 and its lack of attention at 7.5/10. A common theme among responses was the lack of support for animal rights advocacy at colleges in the U.S.

The authors suggest a more united front in student animal advocacy, emphasizing that even top universities have failed to maintain consistent, effective, and enduring animal rights activism. With 15.4 million undergraduate students in the U.S., campus organizing represents a crucial opportunity for animal advocates. Allied Scholars for Animal Protection aims to address this issue by providing systematic support, training, education, and effective outreach strategies for campus animal advocacy groups.