College Students Favor Open Discussion of Race and Gender

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In recent years, a number of state governments have passed legislation regulating how certain topics can be taught or discussed in higher education. In 2022, more than 20 state legislatures were considering bills restricting or regulating discussion, teaching or training related to “divisive concepts” such as gender, race and racism. According to new data from the Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education 2022 study, 74% of currently enrolled students say the presence of such policies would influence their decision to stay enrolled in their college, with most saying they would prefer to attend school in a state that did not prohibit instruction on topics of race and gender. Meanwhile, 64% of non-degree-holding adults under age 60 say such laws would be at least somewhat important in their decision whether to enroll in a college.

These results -- based on web survey responses from 6,008 U.S. adults currently enrolled in an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, certificate or certification program, and 6,007 U.S. adults who are not currently enrolled in such a program -- also suggest that party identification influences adults’ opinions of divisive concepts policies. Among currently enrolled students, Democrats (81%) and independents (71%) are more likely than Republicans (64%) to say the presence of such policies would be at least somewhat important in their decision to remain enrolled in their college. Those who are not enrolled in college are less likely to consider these laws as a factor in their enrollment decision, regardless of their political alignment; however, unenrolled Democrats (77%) and independents (62%) are still more likely than unenrolled Republicans (51%) to say divisive concepts policies are important.

Age also has a moderate effect on the importance of this issue, but only for unenrolled adults. Currently enrolled students aged 18 to 24 and those aged 25 to 59 are equally likely to say divisive concepts laws influence their decision to remain enrolled (both at 73%), while unenrolled 18- to 24-year-olds are seven percentage points more likely than those aged 25 to 59 to say these laws would influence their decision to enroll in a college (70% vs. 63%, respectively).

Students Influenced by Divisive Concepts Laws Prefer Less Prohibitive Policies

Roughly three-quarters of both students (77%) and non-students (78%) who say divisive concepts policies are an important factor in their college enrollment decision would prefer to attend a college in a state that allowed instruction of all viewpoints related to potentially divisive topics. That leaves less than one in four who think these laws are important and would prefer to attend college in a state that prohibits the instruction of certain viewpoints on divisive topics.

Party identification has a noticeable impact on whether current and potential students would prefer a college that regulated discussions of these topics. More than eight in 10 currently enrolled and unenrolled Democrats would prefer to attend a school that allowed instruction of all viewpoints on divisive topics, compared with about two-thirds of currently enrolled (66%) and unenrolled Republicans (65%).

Implications

As laws regulating how divisive concepts can be taught in colleges remain under consideration on the floor of many state legislatures across the United States, most currently enrolled students and unenrolled adults say such laws would impact their likelihood to enroll or remain enrolled in a college subject to those restrictions. The vast majority of those students and non-students would prefer to attend college in a state that allows instruction of all viewpoints on divisive topics.

By implementing policies that restrict instruction -- in concert with new state laws restricting access to reproductive healthcare -- legislatures may be jeopardizing the ability of colleges and universities in their state to meet enrollment targets at a time when college enrollment has been declining or stagnant since 2017. While these policies may be particularly attractive to the roughly one-fifth of all Republicans who would prefer to attend a college that prohibits instruction of certain viewpoints related to race or gender, this remains a minority preference even within Republican Party, and likely would not counterbalance the general public’s desire to attend unconstrained universities.

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Learn more about how the Lumina Foundation-Gallup State of Higher Education 2022 study works.