Overview
Students for Life of America exists for one reason: to abolish abortion in America — to make it illegal and unthinkable in every state. We conducted this study because college campuses are one of the places where abortion is most often sold to young women as the price of a future.
For decades, the abortion industry has told college students, especially young women, that a baby means the end of their education and can limit their career prospects. Too many campuses reinforce that message by default. When a pregnant student can find a pregnancy test at the health center but no family housing, no child care, no maternity parking, and no scholarships … the institution has answered her question for her. She is not choosing abortion freely; she is being funneled toward it by the absence of support.
Students for Life rejects the premise that a woman must choose between her child and her education. A degree is worth having — graduates earn up to 70% more than those with only a high school diploma, face lower unemployment, and are more likely to lead healthy lives, be active citizens, and be engaged with their children. That is exactly why we refuse to let abortion be positioned as the ticket to those benefits. The Pro-Life Generation believes a woman should be able to walk across the graduation stage with her child watching, and we believe that when real support exists, she will.
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 prohibits discrimination based on sex, which is broadly interpreted to include pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, and parental status. Institutions receiving federal funding are required to provide reasonable accommodations and ensure that pregnant and parenting students have equal access to educational opportunities. But legal compliance is a floor, not a standard. A campus can satisfy Title IX on paper and still leave a frightened 19-year-old with nowhere to turn but the abortion vendor, like Planned Parenthood, down the street. Colleges and universities should not aim to meet the legal minimum; they should aim to be places where choosing Life is the obvious, supported, and celebrated choice.
With nearly 1 in 5 undergraduates raising a child while pursuing a degree, this is not a niche population. Since 2019, Students for Life has worked to ensure that no student is forced to choose between her education and the life of her preborn child. Through research, advocacy, our Standing With You initiative, and the mobilization of our 1,675+ student groups nationwide, we identify the barriers pregnant and parenting students face and press institutions to remove them.
Students for Life’s “2026 Campus Pregnancy Support Study” evaluated the accommodations available to pregnant and parenting students at 553 public state colleges and universities across the United States. By assessing existing support, identifying gaps, and highlighting best practices, the study gives our student leaders a scorecard for their own campuses and administrators a roadmap for change.
Methodology
Study Design and Scope
Research occurred between November 2024 and April 2026. The study evaluated how state-funded colleges and universities support pregnant and parenting students through institutional policies, resources, and accommodations.
The final dataset includes 553 state colleges and universities across the United States.
Institutional Selection
Institutions were identified through a comprehensive review of state college and university listings obtained from state, local, and federal government sources. All data sources used to compile the institutional list are documented and cited within the study dataset to ensure transparency and replicability.
Data Collection Process
Researchers conducted a systematic review of publicly available institutional materials including official university websites, student handbooks, policy documents, Title IX websites, Housing and Residence Life information, campus resource directories, and student health services pages.
When information could not be located or verified online, follow-up outreach via phone and email was conducted. Primary points of contact included Title IX offices, along with housing, student services, and health center personnel. Information obtained through outreach was used to confirm or supplement publicly available data.
Ratings Framework
Institutions were rated on a five-star scale, earning one star for meeting criteria in each of five core categories and 12 subcategories. The rating system was designed to measure the breadth of institutional support rather than the relative importance of individual accommodations.
| Category | Total Stars | Components |
| Housing Policies | 1 | On-campus housing for pregnant students (0.5); Family housing (0.5) |
| On-Campus Resources | 1 | Diaper changing stations (0.25); Lactation rooms (0.25); On-campus child care (0.25); Maternity parking (0.25) |
| Financial Assistance | 1 | Grants for pregnant/parenting students (0.5); Scholarships for pregnant/parenting students (0.5) |
| Medical Attention | 1 | Pregnancy testing at health center (0.5); Referrals at health center (0.5) |
| Accommodations & Policy Transparency | 1 | Accommodations listed on website (0.5); Pregnant & Parenting Student Policy or Statement listed on website (0.5) |
| Total Possible Score | 5 | 12 accommodations across 5 categories |
Each institution earned up to five stars based on the sum of all categories.
To ensure a fair evaluation of institutions with different infrastructures, the following standards were applied:
- Institutions without on-campus housing were awarded a full star for the Housing category.
- Institutions without campus health centers were awarded a full star for the Medical Attention category.
Key Findings
- The vast majority of schools (98.6%) are missing at least two recommended accommodations for pregnant and parenting students.
- Schools provide an average of 6.6 of the 12 accommodations evaluated.
- Across all colleges and universities evaluated, the average rating on our scale was just 3.1 stars.
- Over three-quarters of schools provide pregnancy testing (81.2%), and nearly 75% offer referrals for pregnancy support resources — yet the practical support a woman needs after receiving a positive test is far rarer.
- Maternity parking is available at fewer than 1 in 10 schools (8.9%), making it the least common accommodation.
- On-campus family housing is unavailable at 72.7% of schools.
- The vast majority (84.8%) of schools do not offer scholarships specifically for pregnant or parenting students.
- Nearly half (46.1%) of schools lack on-campus child care services.
- Almost 40% of schools do not list pregnancy or parenting accommodations on their websites, meaning a student in crisis may never learn what help exists.
- Nearly 90% of schools (89.9%) include a pregnancy and parenting student policy on their website or student handbook, making it the most common accommodation.
- Four out of five schools (80.1%) have lactation rooms.
Read the full report here: