A notable shift in American college demographics indicates that the fervor surrounding radical gender ideologies may be waning, as recent data shows a significant drop in students identifying as transgender or non-binary. This trend appears to be a reaction to the peak influences felt during the Biden-Harris administration.
According to research from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), analyzed by the Centre for Heterodox Social Science, the percentage of U.S. undergraduates identifying beyond the traditional male and female spectrum has plummeted from 6.8 percent in 2023 to 3.6 percent in 2025—a change indicative of nearly a 50 percent reduction.
The research outlines:
The magnitude of the decline in the student data is noteworthy, even when adjusting for data variability. For instance, at Andover prep school, non-binary identification fell from over 9 percent in 2023 to 3 percent in 2025. In the broader FIRE analysis, the reduction over the same timeframe was from 6.8 to 3.6 percent among a sample size of 55,000-69,000 students annually.
At Brown University, where nearly half of the target demographic was surveyed, non-binary identification dropped from around 5 percent in 2022-23 to 2.6 percent in 2025, reflecting a similar halving. This indicates a possible return to pre-surge baselines following a period of increased advocacy.
This steep decline corresponded with years of heightened advocacy for gender fluidity across educational, media, and social platforms— phenomena that some conservative voices have labeled social contagion rather than genuine self-identification.
The report suggests that the downturn may correlate with improvements in student mental health, showing a reduction in depression rates from 44 percent in 2022 to 38 percent in 2024, as noted in a survey referenced by The Economist.
A 2023 study further highlighted that over half of teenage girls identifying as transgender had friends who did so as well, pointing towards peer influence as a crucial factor, one that appears to be reversing.
Notably, elite institutions are experiencing even sharper declines. For example, at Brown University, the rate of non-binary identification fell from 5 percent in 2022-2023 to 2.6 percent in 2025, while Phillips Academy Andover recorded a decrease from 7.4 percent in 2023 to 3 percent in 2025.
Social media has seen users expressing relief over what many perceive as the retreat of a potentially harmful “trend.”
It’s no longer “trendy” to be “trans.”
“…the fact both have declined sharply in just two years is a startling and unanticipated post-progressive development that the education and media establishments will be reluctant to acknowledge.” pic.twitter.com/0qJZ5aMGps
— Moms for Liberty (@Moms4Liberty) October 14, 2025
The organization Moms for Liberty has noted, “It’s no longer ‘trendy’ to be ‘trans.’”
