Believe it or not, the political makeup of a college campus significantly alters high schoolers’ college aspirations and choices. One in four students have concerns about attending college in specific states based on their political climate. Let’s discuss this further.
Political turmoil in recent years has led to higher voter turnout in our younger population than ever. In the 2022 midterm elections, it’s estimated that 27% of youth ages 18-29 cast a ballot, according to data from the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. The current political climate is again boosting engagement, but how is it impacting college choice?
Political considerations are a factor in college choice for roughly three out of every four students, the research affirms. For instance, liberal-leaning students say they’re most concerned about attending college in states like Texas, Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee and South Carolina.
On the other end of the political spectrum, conservative students would rather not attend college in California and New York.
“Understanding these dynamics is essential for educational institutions aiming to attract and retain a diverse student body,” said Jarrett Smith, senior vice president at Echo Delta, which published the report.
Additionally, the report explains what political factors keep students from applying to a particular college. Survey respondents cited issues such as racial equity (58%), healthcare (56%) and freedom of speech (53%) as their top three concerns.
Higher education institutions offset these fears by fostering a welcoming and inclusive campus, the research suggests. Students themselves expressed a desire for colleges to maintain open communication about their political stances and promote free speech on campus.
Liberal and politically active students prefer institutions to take transparent stances on political issues, especially those surrounding racial equity and freedom of speech.
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As for K12, we encourage you to tap into the data regarding how students gather information about a college’s political climate. This may be useful to your college and career coaches as they guide students throughout their college searches.
For example, 86% of prospective college students look for information that will help them gauge the political environment of a college. Students say they use social media, college websites and personal networks to inform their decisions. They also look for other context clues like looking into student-run clubs, organizations, academic programs and who colleges invite as featured speakers.
We encourage you to take a deeper look at the report, which you can access here.
