Tracking State Laws That Ban DEI at Public Universities in 2026
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 03, 2026 • US Higher Ed News & Policy
At least 15 states restrict DEI offices, training or diversity statements at public colleges, and the Chronicle of Higher Education counts 28 anti-DEI bills signed into law nationwide since 2023. North Carolina became the newest state in June 2026.
States with bans include Texas, Florida, Utah, Alabama, Idaho, West Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa and Ohio
Common targets: DEI offices, mandatory diversity training, diversity statements in hiring, and identity-based hiring or admissions preferences
Need-based financial aid and accreditation are not affected by these laws
Federal rulemaking on DEI and Title VI adds a second layer of pressure on top of state laws
What these laws restrict
Since 2023, state legislatures have passed a wave of laws restricting diversity, equity and inclusion work at public colleges.
The Chronicle of Higher Education counts 28 anti-DEI bills that have become law nationwide, according to its coverage of the trend .
The laws differ state to state, but most target the same things: DEI offices and staff positions, mandatory diversity training for students or employees, diversity statements required in hiring or admissions, and identity-based preferences in hiring, admissions or scholarships.
States with laws already in place
BestColleges' Anti-DEI Legislation Tracker lists at least 15 states with laws in force.
Here is what a few of them cover.
| State | What the law restricts |
|---|---|
| Texas | DEI offices, diversity training, ideological oaths at public colleges |
| Florida | DEI funding and courses centered on identity politics or systemic racism |
| Utah | DEI offices and diversity statements in hiring and admissions |
| Alabama | DEI offices and promotion of specified race and sex concepts |
| Idaho | Diversity statements in hiring and admissions |
| West Virginia | DEI staff positions and mandatory diversity statements |
| Iowa | DEI offices and promotion of specified viewpoints |
| Ohio | Required DEI courses and diversity checks in hiring |
| North Carolina | DEI offices and compelled belief in listed divisive concepts |
| Tennessee | DEI training requirements and state funding for divisive concepts |
| North Dakota | Ideological questioning of employees and mandatory training on specified concepts |
| South Dakota | Mandatory training on divisive concepts |
Wyoming, Arkansas, Indiana and Kentucky have also passed restrictions, according to the same tracker.
Timing varies by state too. Texas banned DEI offices, diversity training and ideological oaths at public colleges effective January 1, 2024.
Iowa's ban followed: Governor Kim Reynolds signed it in May 2024, and it took effect July 1, 2025, barring public colleges from funding DEI offices or employing DEI staff. Most bans apply only to public institutions, so private colleges in the same state generally keep their own policies.
North Carolina's new law
North Carolina joined the list in June 2026, when Republican lawmakers overrode Governor Josh Stein's veto of Senate Bill 558.
The law bars University of North Carolina System schools and community colleges from running DEI offices or compelling students and employees to affirm specified concepts about race and sex, according to EdNC .
Federal pressure adds another layer
State bans are not the only pressure college DEI offices face. The Education Department's 2026 regulatory agenda includes a rule clarifying restrictions on DEI and race-conscious programs under Title VI, adding federal review on top of state laws for colleges that receive federal funding, according to Nixon Peabody .
That Title VI rule is expected as a final regulation in August 2026, giving federal enforcement a firm date even as state laws keep expanding.
Why states are passing these laws
Lawmakers who back these bills generally argue that DEI offices and mandatory trainings promote one political viewpoint with taxpayer money, and that ending them redirects funding toward academics. Opponents, including North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, argue the laws go beyond funding decisions into classroom speech and campus culture, and that they remove support structures some students rely on. Both sides agree the laws mark a sharp break from how public universities ran DEI programming through the early 2020s.
What these bans do not usually change
Need-based financial aid, Pell Grants and federal student loans are not affected by these state laws.
Academic accreditation standards remain a separate process. What changes is campus infrastructure: the offices, mandatory trainings and hiring statements some schools used to run.
Course content and faculty research generally stay outside these laws too, though a few states, including North Carolina, add restrictions on courses that endorse specific concepts about race and sex.
What this means for you
If you study at a public college in one of these states, expect fewer identity-based student support offices and programming than before, though academic advising, financial aid and general student services stay in place. Ask your school directly how it interprets its state law, since campuses in the same state sometimes apply the rules differently while court challenges play out.
This trend has accelerated every year since 2023, so watch for more state bills during 2026 legislative sessions. If you are comparing colleges in different states, ask admissions or the student affairs office directly about which identity-based programs and offices are still active before you enroll, since state law changes what is available and school websites do not always update their pages right away.