US Colleges See Spike in Students with Disabilities, Including Elite Schools

BELIEVERS COMMUNITY NEWS

The number of college students reporting disabilities rose more than 50% over the last decade across a wide swath of schools, including at some of the most selective universities in the United States, according to a New York Times analysis of government data. 

While some colleges and students have embraced the trend, saying it shows schools are opening their doors to students who might previously have been shut out, it has raised worries that some could be gaming the system. 

Among the top 100 schools that saw the biggest increases in students with disabilities are several in the group known as “Ivy Plus,” some of the most difficult schools in the nation for a student to get into, including Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

What is causing the increase is not entirely clear, but experts named a number of factors, including a rise in ADHD and autism diagnosis as well as an uptick in diagnoses of severe anxiety, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Students and their families are also getting better at understanding the law and pursuing accommodations, many starting when students are in grade school. Additionally, stigma around mental illness, which might have discouraged a student in the past from registering a disability, has fallen. 

The rising numbers have concerned some. Graham Hillard, who had written on the issue for the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal, a conservative policy group, said the current “incentive structure” to secure accommodations has led to more diagnosis. 

“Is this fair?” he said. “Obviously not. But it will presumably sort itself out when kids who’ve never worked under a deadline or concentrated in a busy room attempt to join or stay in the workforce.” 

Cole Cochrane, a Harvard University junior, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the intense pressure on campus meant some people look to help themselves by seeking accommodations. If there is anyone gaming the system, “it’s a product of stress and desperation,” he said. 

But adding more restrictions on accommodations could hurt people who really need them, he said. A possible alternative: “Realize it’s okay to have less than a 4.0 at one of the world’s top universities.”

¹thestar.com.my/lifestyle/living/2026/03/17/us-colleges-see-spike-in-students-with-disabilities-including-elite-schools#goog_rewarded