Education

College Students Are Weighing Legislative Policies Before Choosing Schools, Survey Finds

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Current and prospective college students are weighing a multitude of policies in states that they plan to attend college in, including abortion and gun legislation, according to a new survey by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation.

Among students surveyed, 71% say abortion policies are important to their decision of which college they will go to, and 76% say legislation regarding the discussion of “divisive topics” will ultimately affect their choice, according to the survey. The survey’s respondents also say that more restrictive gun policies are preferable, with 84% saying they’d be more likely to enroll at a school with such policies.

Policies around the U.S. have been changing in regard to universities, with multiple states passing laws banning Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at colleges, including Texas and Florida.

Among college students who were surveyed, Democrats are more likely to consider legislation on “divisive concepts,” which have been defined as Critical Race Theory and other tenets of DEI, in their college choice, with 85% saying it’s important compared to 70% of Republicans, according to the survey.

The Supreme Court struck down Roe. v. Wade in June 2022, leading to changes in abortion policies in states around the U.S., with California and Michigan establishing a “right” to abortion and Louisiana and Georgia passing abortion restrictions, among others.

Among current and prospective college students, 71% of both men and women say a state’s abortion policies are important, according to the survey. Democrats and people aged 18-25 are most likely to say the policies are important, with 81% and 77%, respectively, saying the policies will factor into their decision.

The Supreme Court ruled that race-based admissions to college and universities is unconstitutional in June 2023, which has also affected how some students choose what college they will go to.

Among persons considering going to college, 63% said the Supreme Court ruling would affect their decision of colleges at least somewhat, according to the survey. Democrats, Asians and adults between the ages of 18-25 were the most likely to say it somewhat affected their decision, with 71%, 84% and 70% saying so respectively.

The survey included nearly 14,000 adults, including 6,015 students currently enrolled in a postsecondary education program, 5,012 who were previously in such a program and 2,943 adults who had never enrolled in a postsecondary education program.