What patterns emerge geographically or by institution type in TPUSA chapter additions and removals in 2025?

1. National surge after a catalytic event — scale and claims

TPUSA publicly reported an extraordinary jump in chapter applications in 2025, with multiple outlets citing tens of thousands of new inquiries and applications following Charlie Kirk’s death — figures reported include roughly 17,700 new college inquiries and headlines claiming up to 37,000 applications in broader coverage ^{[5] [1]}. The group’s own materials and event pages also emphasize rapid chapter growth and a claim of hundreds to over 900 college and high‑school chapters, reinforcing a narrative of organizational momentum ^{[2] [6]}.

2. Geographic patterns — Southern and Sun Belt concentration

Reporting points to a clear Southern and Sun Belt concentration of new high‑school chapters and state-level promotion: Texas, Florida and Oklahoma are repeatedly noted as states partnering to establish chapters statewide, and Alabama coverage highlights rapid high‑school growth there as well ^{[3] [7]}. Meanwhile, college chapters remain active across the Mid‑Atlantic and other regions, indicating that expansion is not strictly regional but is uneven, with denser activity where political leaders and state agencies have signaled support ^{[8] [7]}.

3. Institution types — high school Club America versus college chapters

Patterns by institution type show two distinct tracks: Club America targets high schools with statewide recruitment pushes and explicit gubernatorial and education‑agency endorsements in places like Texas, while TPUSA’s college program continues to claim large networks of campus chapters that predate and parallel the high‑school push ^{[2] [3]}. High‑school efforts appear to be the faster, more politically entangled expansion in 2025, whereas college chapters remain the organization’s established base and recruiting ground ^{[2] [6]}.

4. Removals, denials and campus pushback — localized resistance exists

Despite high‑level growth claims, the record shows localized resistance: student petitions sought removal of a University of West Georgia chapter (about 2,000 signatures reported) and at least one private institution, Southern Adventist University, denied a student request to form an official TPUSA chapter in Fall 2025 ^{[5] [4]}. These examples indicate that chapter removals or denials in 2025 were uneven and often driven by campus governance, student petitioning, or institutional policy rather than a coordinated national removal campaign ^{[5] [4]}.

5. Drivers, incentives and possible agendas shaping the patterns

Expansion patterns reflect a mix of grassroots student interest amplified by a high‑profile catalyst and deliberate political alignment: state officials and governors publicly promoted enrollment and even threatened regulatory action against schools that “stand in the way” of Club America in Texas, suggesting political leverage behind rapid high‑school growth ^{[3] [9]}. TPUSA’s promotional materials and chapter handbooks also institutionalize aggressive recruitment and campus playbooks, signaling organizational intent to convert application surges into durable chapters ^{[6] [10]}.

6. Caveats, data gaps and what reporting does not show

Available reporting gives headline application counts and selected state and campus cases but lacks a systematically verified, public dataset of approved chapter additions versus denials nationwide for 2025; tax filings and organizational claims offer scale but not granular approval/removal timelines or independent verification ^{[2] [8]}. Therefore, while geographic clustering in conservative states and a two‑track institution pattern (high school Club America vs college chapters) are well supported, precise national counts of net additions versus removals, and the role of institutional governance in each case, remain underreported in the sources reviewed ^{[5] [4]}.