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University of Illinois-Chicago

University of Illinois-Chicago's course descriptions average 68.2 on the 100-to-0 ruler: clearly left of center. Across all 100 schools, the average is 67.5, so University of Illinois-Chicago reads 0.7 points further left.

Liberal (100)center (50)Conservative (0)
University of Illinois-Chicago: 68.2 (likely range 63.9 to 72.5) All 100 schools: 67.5 each other school in the comparison

Where its courses fall

9%Far left92–100
45%Left75–91
28%Center-left59–74
8%Center42–58
4%Center-right26–41
1%Right9–25
4%Far right0–8
74 plotted courses (the ones with a political subject). 100 = far left, 50 = the average American, 0 = far right. Subject places what a course studies, not the side it takes.

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Subject places what a course studies, not the side it takes. A course on slavery or the Holocaust lands far right and a course on Marx or the Soviet Union lands far left, whether the course praises, criticizes or simply describes it.

Underlined: words the model quoted from the description when we asked it, after scoring, to explain its score.

Furthest-left subjects

GLAS 231 · Introduction to Chinese Politics100

Ethnic & African American Studies

Main issues of contemporary Chinese politics and social change; the decline of the last imperial dynasty; the republican era; the rise of communism and China under the rule of Mao Zedong; and the reform period (post-1978). Course…

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POLS 295 · Introduction to Marxism95

Political Science

Examination and evaluation of the basic theories of Marx and Engels to determine their contribution to the understanding of contemporary politics. Course Information: Prerequisite(s): POLS 190 or consent of the instructor. Political Science (POLS)

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PSCH 411 · The Psychology of Racism94

Psychology

Within our country's context of racism, you might ask yourself: What is my role in resisting racism? How might I (as a Person of Color) heal from racism and work in solidarity with other People of Color to dismantle White supremacy? Course…

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Furthest-right subjects

HIST 117 · Understanding the Holocaust0

History

Examines the Holocaust of European Jewry as the result of antisemitic ideology and the development of modern German political forces; implementation of the Final Solution. Course Information: Same as JST 117 and RELS 117. Individual and Society course, and Past course.

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HIST 221 · The Atlantic Slave Trade0

History

Thematic social, cultural and economic history tracing rise and fall of Atlantic slave trade from African supply systems to New world consumption 1550-1880 with focus on slave experiences. Course Information: Same as BLST 221.…

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RELS 117 · Understanding the Holocaust0

Religious Studies

Examines the Holocaust of European Jewry as the result of antisemitic ideology and the development of modern German political forces; implementation of the Final Solution. Course Information: Same as HIST 117 and JST 117. Individual and Society course, and Past course.

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Why this number, in plain words

Political lean of course descriptions. Average Framing score (0 = far right, 50 = center, 100 = far left) of the scored courses in the group.

50 is the survey-anchored center of US adults on each issue (the "moderate" place of the ANES/GSS/PRRI seven-label ruler), not the cohort midpoint; scores above 50 read leftward, below 50 rightward.

Counted: courses with a Framing score (categories L/R/B/C). The likely range (95% interval) is 63.9 to 72.5; a comparison whose range overlaps this one is not a reliable difference.

  • Only 20 of University of Illinois-Chicago's descriptions carried a scorable lean, so this average and its rank are rough; the interval is the honest range.
  • Most course descriptions carry no political lean at all and are not in this average; the "share described from the left" view counts them.
  • Readings are of catalog description text, not of teaching, syllabi or individual professors.
University of Illinois-Chicago by department (share of courses described from the left)
DepartmentLeft-framed shareCourses
Women's & Gender Studies10%50view
Anthropology4.8%63view
Sociology4.1%49view
Ethnic & African American Studies2.8%141view
Psychology2.4%41view
Religious Studies2.3%44view
History2.0%101view
Political Science1.4%71view
English & Comparative Literature0.8%119view
Art & Art History0%48view
Economics0%38view
Philosophy0%50view

Lean (mean Framing score) is not published per department within a school; only the left-framed share is. Department rows carry no interval.

Details: exact rows, definitions and method
NameMetricValue95% intervalnscored
University of Illinois-Chicagomean_bias_score68.263.9 – 72.581520
All 100 schoolsmean_bias_score67.567.4 – 67.7124,29010,124
Formula
SUM(bias_score) / COUNT(bias_score)
Interval
normal approximation: mean +/- 1.96 * sd / sqrt(n), sample sd (n-1); undefined when n < 2
Model / prompt / snapshot
gpt-5.6-sol · r12 (2026-10-16-le49-r12) · 6df50b10
Metric caveats
Scored courses only (L/R/B/C); N and I carry no score and are excluded, so n here is smaller than the group's course count. Scores are model readings of catalog description text against a fixed anchored definition, not teaching or syllabi. The interval covers sampling noise in the mean only; it does not represent model reading error. Every value carries a `method` label: exact_rows or histogram_midpoint.

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