Title IX Exempt Schools

Some schools have opted entirely or in part out of Title IX. To opt entirely out of Title IX, the school must refuse any federal grants or aid. To opt in part out of Title IX obligations (e.g. gender identity, sexual orientation clauses), the school must request the exemption from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.

Entities that may apply for exemption from Title IX include:

  • Private undergraduate colleges (admissions exempt)
  • Public elementary and secondary schools (admissions exempt)
  • Private schools controlled by religious organizations (any application contrary to religious tenets exempt, after approved request to U.S. Dept. of Education)
  • Schools training individuals for military services or merchant marine (completely exempt)
  • Social fraternities of sororities (membership practices exempt)
  • Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts, and Camp Fire Girls (membership practices exempt)
  • Voluntary youth services organizations (membership practices exempt)
  • Boys or girls conferences

Schools that are entirely exempt from Title IX

Examples of schools that are entirely exempt from Title IX include:

  • Hillsdale College in Michigan
  • Grove City College in Pennsylvania
  • Christendom College in Virginia
  • Pensacola Christian College in Florida
  • Patrick Henry College in Virginia
  • Wyoming Catholic College
  • Gutenberg College in Oregon
  • Yeshiva Toras Chaim Talmudic Seminary of Denver

To learn if your school has opted all or in part out of Title IX, please see:

Exempt from Title IX pregnancy and parenting provisions

This chart (32K), obtained from the U.S. Department of Education, lists all of the institutions that currently hold a religious exemption and all those that have a religious exemption request pending with OCR. It is recommended that you review this list to see if your school is on here.

This list includes institutions that have received waivers related to Title IX’s pregnancy and parenting provisions since 2009. To review all correspondence, including exemption requests and U.S. Department of Education responses, click HERE.