Surname audits reveal campus Jewish decline

A surname audit (matching student names to culturally associated surnames) can be used when universities do not publish religious or ethnic breakdowns; in Columbia’s case the audit author reports Jewish‑surnamed students falling from ~28% in 1982 to much lower levels today. Such audits are imperfect but provide a replicable empirical window into demographic change on selective campuses. — If corroborated, this shift matters for admissions transparency, debates over preferential policies, the visibility of Jewish students, and campus political dynamics.