Who Controls What You Study in College

Until recently, faculty at most U.S. colleges decided which courses counted toward graduation. By summer 2026, that authority has shifted in several states — from faculty to state legislators and governing boards.

Inside Higher Ed published a detailed account on June 16, 2026, documenting how Republican-controlled legislatures are increasingly writing the rules for what public college students must study.¹ Here is what actually changed, state by state.

Florida: The Sharpest Reduction

Florida has gone further than any other state. According to data cited by the Manhattan Institute, the number of approved general-education courses at Florida public colleges has fallen by nearly 60 percent since the state's overhaul began.² At the University of Florida specifically, reported figures show the list of courses available for gen-ed credit dropped from approximately 1,200 to roughly 300.

Sociology was removed as a general-education requirement. Then in February 2026, Florida took an additional step: the state issued a required curriculum framework that professors at all 28 Florida public colleges must now use when teaching introduction to sociology.³ The state is developing a similar framework for American history. Professors no longer design these courses from scratch — the content is specified by the state.

Alabama: Auburn Moved Beyond What the Law Required

Alabama's HB 580, which takes effect in October 2026, will give governing boards at most public colleges authority over curriculum that had previously belonged to faculty.

Auburn University didn't wait. On June 5, 2026, Auburn's Board of Trustees voted unanimously to dissolve the University Senate — the faculty governance body — and transfer complete curricular authority to the board.⁴ Auburn is notable because, as a constitutionally created land-grant institution, it is not explicitly bound by HB 580. The board acted voluntarily, ahead of the legal deadline. In place of the faculty senate, a Presidential Academic Advisory Council was created, with members appointed by the administration.

If you're applying to a public university in Florida, Alabama, Texas, or Arkansas, ask the registrar for the current approved gen-ed course list — not a summary, the actual list. What appears in a 2024 catalog may not reflect what's available today.

Texas: Restricted Content

Texas took a different approach than Florida. Rather than shrinking which courses count for gen-ed, Texas A&M adopted a policy in late 2024 banning professors across its 12 campuses from teaching content about race, sexual orientation, or gender identity without prior approval from their university president. Multiple courses have been canceled; many more have been revised to remove these topics. Texas Senate Bill 37, passed in 2025, gave state and governing boards broader authority over curricula, drawing on model legislation from the Manhattan Institute.²

Arkansas, South Carolina, Ohio, and North Carolina

Arkansas in 2025 banned special-topics courses from counting toward general-education requirements and mandated that all students complete a survey of American history and a civics course that includes "the essentials of the United States Constitution."

South Carolina's REACH Act — Reinforcing College Education on America's Constitutional Heritage — established similar requirements earlier. Ohio passed legislation with nearly identical wording. North Carolina adopted a policy that moves in the same direction, though less comprehensively.¹

Three Things Most Coverage Misses

1. These mandates apply to public colleges only. Every change above affects state universities and community colleges — not private ones. The University of Florida is affected. The University of Miami is not. Rice University in Houston has no obligation to comply with Texas's directives. Students who want more curricular flexibility can often find it at private colleges within the same state. Private colleges aren't always more expensive than out-of-state publics once merit aid is factored in.

2. If you're already enrolled, courses you mapped out may no longer count. Several of these changes applied to existing students. A sociology elective that counted toward your social science gen-ed requirement at a Florida college in 2024 may not count in 2026. Students mid-program should verify their degree plan with an academic advisor now, not at registration time.

3. The trend has a policy roadmap that could spread further. The Manhattan Institute released model legislation in June 2026 — a draft framework that any state can adopt — requiring governing boards to annually certify all gen-ed courses for "civic relevance" and reducing faculty to advisory roles.² States that haven't yet made these changes have a ready-to-pass template. This is not limited to the South.

What This Means for Your College Search

Students who want to take sociology, gender studies, or courses focused on contemporary social topics as gen-ed options may find those choices limited or gone at public colleges in Florida, Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas. Students who want a curriculum centered on American history, Western civilization, and civics will find those requirements built in.

During campus visits, ask a current student what they tried to enroll in and couldn't — you'll learn more about course availability than from any catalog. Our college visit checklist covers the questions most families forget to ask.

The in-state vs. out-of-state decision has traditionally been a cost question. It's increasingly a curriculum question too. An out-of-state public university in a state with fewer restrictions may be worth paying more to attend, depending on what you want to study.

If you're still deciding between schools, the how to choose between two colleges guide gives you a framework for weighing curriculum alongside cost and fit. And when you're finalizing your list, our college planning checklist helps you track what to investigate at each school.

For students uncertain about their major, choosing a major with flexibility in mind matters more when the available course pool is shrinking.

Next Steps

• Applying to a Florida or Alabama public school: Pull up the current approved gen-ed course list on the registrar's site. Compare it to what you expect to be available.
• Already enrolled at one of these schools: Meet with your advisor before your next registration window to confirm your degree plan is still valid under current requirements.
• Still building your list: Add curriculum flexibility — not just cost and rankings — as a factor in your evaluation. It now varies meaningfully from state to state.

Footnotes

1. Inside Higher Ed. (2026, June 16). How GOP State Lawmakers Are Reshaping General Education. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty/curriculum/2026/06/16/how-gop-state-lawmakers-are-reshaping-general-education ↩ ↩²

2. Manhattan Institute. (2026). Correcting the Core: University General Education Requirements Need State Oversight. Manhattan Institute. https://manhattan.institute/article/correcting-the-core-university-general-education-requirements-need-state-oversight ↩ ↩² ↩³

3. Inside Higher Ed. (2026, February 20). Florida Hands Down Sociology Curriculum to State Colleges. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/faculty-issues/curriculum/2026/02/20/florida-hands-down-sociology-curriculum-state-colleges ↩

4. Inside Higher Ed. (2026, June 5). Auburn Board Takes Curricular Control, Dissolves Senate. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/governance/trustees-regents/2026/06/05/auburn-board-takes-curricular-control-dissolves-senate ↩