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A Howard Kurtz piece in today's Wasington Post

College faculties, long assumed to be a liberal bastion, lean further to the left than even the most conspiratorial conservatives might have imagined, a new study says.

By their own description, 72 percent of those teaching at American universities and colleges are liberal and 15 percent are conservative, says the study being published this week. The imbalance is almost as striking in partisan terms, with 50 percent of the faculty members surveyed identifying themselves as Democrats and 11 percent as Republicans.

The tremedous descrepancy between those numbers and those of the general public are even more notable.

In contrast with the finding that nearly three-quarters of college faculty are liberal, a Harris Poll of the general public last year found that 33 percent describe themselves as conservative and 18 percent as liberal.

Jonathan Knight, director of academic freedom and tenure for the American Association of University Professors is downplaying the study, suggesting it shows no indication of how such numbers might imact students or their education. However, some of the viewpoints that hold sway among education's elite might suggest otherwise to some, given that they border on socialism.

The professors and instructors surveyed are, strongly or somewhat, in favor of abortion rights (84 percent); believe homosexuality is acceptable (67 percent); and want more environmental protection "even if it raises prices or costs jobs" (88 percent). What's more, the study found, 65 percent want the government to ensure full employment, a stance to the left of the Democratic Party.

Also, the study suggests that the more elite the school, the more liberal the professors, and in general women, as well as conservatives seem under represented.

The disparity is even more pronounced at the most elite schools, where, according to the study, 87 percent of faculty are liberal and 13 percent are conservative.

The researchers say that liberals, men and non-regular churchgoers are more likely to be teaching at top schools, while conservatives, women and more religious faculty are more likely to be relegated to lower-tier colleges and universities.

Dan Riehl blogs at Riehl World View.