Sharp drop in transgender identification on college campuses found through new analysis

Direction via identification Among young people He seems to be losing momentum.

The latest data is taken from Campus It shows a sharp decline in the number of Generation Z who identify as transgender over the past three years.

Eric Kaufman, a professor of politics at the University of Buckingham, conducted his own analysis of a large survey of American college students – which included a question asking them to identify their gender.

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Anything that is neither a man nor a woman is considered “gender non-conforming,” the survey organization shared with Fox News Digital.

Possible answers are listed below.

• man
• woman
• Non-binary
• Agendar
• Sex or sexual fluid
• not sure
• Prefer not to say

In a 2025 survey of 68,000 students, only 3.6% of participants identified as a gender other than male or female.

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“By comparison, the number was 5.2% in 2024 and 6.8% in both 2022 and 2023,” Kaufman wrote in his analysis published on the website. UnHerd.com.

“In other words, the proportion of students who were effectively identified dropped by half in just two years.”

“The proportion of students who are effectively identified has halved in just two years.”

The report also found that “gender nonconforming identity” has declined sharply, according to Kaufman. Those who identify as gay or lesbian have remained “stable”, although heterosexuality has risen by 10 points since 2023.

Additionally, in 2024-25, fewer college first-year students identified as “trans or queer” than seniors — the opposite of what happened in 2022-2023.

“This suggests that gender/sex mismatch will continue to decline,” Kaufman wrote in an X post sharing the data.

Recent data from college campuses shows a sharp decline in the number of Generation Z who identify as transgender over the past three years. (Istock)

The annual survey – the College Free Expression Rankings – is conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The goal is to collect students’ opinions about freedom of expression, along with demographic information such as gender.

Kaufman He conducted his analyses Using six years of demographic data from the survey, FIRE confirmed to Fox News Digital.

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His independent report, “The Decline of Trans and Queer Identity Among Young Americans,” was published by the Center for Nontraditional Social Science and has not been peer-reviewed.

“Our survey looks at students’ attitudes regarding freedom of expression and is conducted for that purpose,” FIRE told Fox News Digital. “As a side effect of asking many participants demographic questions, one can pick up trends in demographics, as Professor Kaufman did here.”

Reasons for the decline

Kaufman said he thinks so Improve mental health It is possible that he played a role in the transformation.

“Less anxious students, especially depression, are associated with a smaller share of transgender, gay, or bisexual students,” he wrote.

The professor who conducted the analysis said that improved mental health likely played a role in the transition among college students. (JHU Sheridan Libraries/Gado/Getty Images)

Kaufman added that the decline may also indicate a fading trend.

“The downfall of trans and gay people seems very much like the fading of a fad or trend,” he wrote. “This has occurred largely independently of shifts in political beliefs Use of social mediaAlthough improved mental health has played a role.”

“Maybe young people will realize that they don’t have to announce or label everything about themselves to be good.”

Dr. Mark Siegel, Fox News’ chief medical analyst, noted that the study is “very interesting,” but does not determine the reason for the decline.

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“It raises more questions than it answers,” the doctor, who did not participate in the survey, told Fox News Digital. “Could it be that change is due to change? Cultural climate? Less political pressure from parents and society? Could it be because of the idea that gender dysphoria resolves in many cases?”

Instead of rejecting their identity, young people may simply tire of feeling pressured to identify every emotion or difference with a new identity, suggests one psychotherapist. (Istock)

Siegel also wondered whether trying to “normalize” these choices and “overcome the stigma” might be an overreaction in some cases, which is now being pushed back.

“Or is the stigma now increasing again, making students reluctant to come out as non-binary now?” he asked. “This needs further study.”

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This shift likely represents a “natural correction,” said Dr. Jonathan Alpert, a psychotherapist in New York City.

“For a while, we taught young people to overinterpret every feeling. The treatment culture told them that every discomfort needed to be labeled or diagnosed,” Albert, who was also not part of the analysis or survey, told Fox News Digital. “For some, this label has become ‘non-binary’ — not identifying with gender.”

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According to Albert, these findings don’t necessarily mean that fewer people identify as transgender — “it’s mostly about fewer people identifying as non-binary, which is a completely different thing.”

Instead of denying their identity, Albert said: Youth He may simply be tired of feeling pressured to identify every emotion or difference with a new identity.

“So, in essence, it’s performance that slows down — at least in what this study has shown,” he said. “A few years ago, identity was treated almost like a social badge. Now, perhaps young people are realizing that they don’t have to advertise or label everything about themselves to be valid.”

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Albert said he sees the same pattern in himself Practice therapy.

“Once people become more comfortable with who they are, they stop needing to define themselves so rigidly. To me, this is a sign of increased self-confidence, not fanaticism.”

Fox News Digital has reached out to Kaufman for additional comment.