WASHINGTON, D.C. -- About a quarter of recent college graduates (27%) strongly agree that if they had raised an issue about discrimination on campus, their alma mater would have fully investigated it.
Graduates who completed their degree at a public college or university (29%) are slightly more likely than graduates from private not-for-profit (25%) and private for-profit (24%) colleges to strongly agree that their institution would have fully investigated a reported discrimination issue. Three times as many private for-profit graduates (15%) as private not-for-profit graduates (5%) strongly disagree that their institution would have fully investigated such an issue.
| Strongly agree | 4 | 3 | 2 | Strongly disagree | Don't know | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All graduates | 27 | 27 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Public graduates | 29 | 25 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Private not-for-profit graduates | 25 | 29 | 21 | 11 | 5 | 9 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Private for-profit graduates | 24 | 20 | 18 | 2 | 15 | 22 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Among those who received a bachelor's degree between 2010 and 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gallup Alumni Survey, Oct. 24-Nov. 7, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
These results are based on interviews with more than 1,600 college graduates who completed their bachelor's degree between 2010 and 2019.
Black, Hispanic Grads Less Confident in Institutions
Only 19% of black graduates strongly agree that their institution would have fully investigated a reported issue of discrimination, compared with 29% of white graduates. Similarly, Hispanic graduates are less likely than white graduates to feel confident in their alma mater's response, with just 23% saying their institution would have fully investigated a claim.
| Strongly agree | 4 | 3 | 2 | Strongly disagree | Don't know | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All graduates | 27 | 27 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White graduates | 29 | 26 | 19 | 9 | 5 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Black graduates | 19 | 22 | 31 | 6 | 9 | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Hispanic graduates | 23 | 33 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Asian graduates | 21 | 35 | 20 | 11 | 5 | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Among those who received a bachelor's degree between 2010 and 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gallup Alumni Survey, Oct. 24-Nov. 7, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Female, LGBT Grads Less Likely to Be Confident in Alma Mater
Female graduates (25%) are less likely than male graduates (30%) to say their institution would have fully investigated a discrimination claim. Similarly, by 24% to 28%, graduates who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) are less likely than their non-LGBT peers to report that their institution would have investigated a discrimination complaint.
| Strongly agree | 4 | 3 | 2 | Strongly disagree | Don't know | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| % | % | % | % | % | % | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| All graduates | 27 | 27 | 20 | 8 | 5 | 13 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Female graduates | 25 | 26 | 22 | 10 | 6 | 11 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Male graduates | 30 | 27 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 15 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| LGBT graduates | 24 | 23 | 25 | 12 | 9 | 8 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Non-LGBT graduates | 28 | 27 | 19 | 8 | 4 | 14 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Among those who received a bachelor's degree between 2010 and 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gallup Alumni Survey, Oct. 24-Nov. 7, 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Implications
Equity is foundational to a highly rigorous academic experience. Gallup data show that for organizations to be truly inclusive, individuals must believe their organization would do the right thing if they reported an issue. For most, this belief that their organization would do the right thing means their institution would fully investigate any complaint. Unfortunately, on the important issue of discrimination, only about a quarter of recent college graduates are confident that their report would have been fully investigated.
These data are similar to the Gallup Alumni Survey data on sexual assault, which finds 32% of recent college graduates strongly agree that their institution would have fully investigated a report of sexual assault on campus.
The attitudes detailed in this article are important given that universities are becoming increasingly diverse places. Unfortunately, these data also come amid continued accounts of increasing numbers of hate crimes reported across college campuses nationally over the past several years.
Learn more about Gallup Education.
