(TNND) — Many college-bound students continue to exclude schools based solely on a particular state’s politics, policies and legal climate.
Students with conservative leanings are most likely to rule out applying to universities in New York or California.
Liberal-minded students are most likely to rule out colleges in Texas, Florida, Arkansas, and Tennessee.
The Arts & Science Group, which conducted the survey, found that 28% make school dismissals based on state politics. And two-thirds of those students do so right after they enroll.
“This is somewhat alarming, because obviously universities don’t have a choice,” said Arts and Sciences Group principal Craig Goebel.
The majority of Art & Science Group’s customers are universities. The organization helps educational institutions tackle big strategic challenges like increasing enrollment and how to provide a better student experience.
Schools in some states simply don’t have the chance to compete with some students due to factors completely outside of the school’s control.
“That not only makes it difficult for them to directly allay those fears, but it also limits their ability to offer something more compelling to overcome those objections,” Goebel said.
Art & Science Group found in a 2023 study that politics influenced the college decisions of nearly a quarter of students.
A new study conducted earlier this year was released Monday.
“Last year’s research was very interesting,” Goebel said. “And it generated a lot of interest nationally and in higher education. So we had a lot of requests to repeat it this year.”
Adam Raats, a professor of education and history at Binghamton University in New York, told the National News Desk in response to last year’s study that students choosing schools based on political perceptions, or not choosing schools, is new. He said that was not the case. That particular institution. For example, the Christian-based Liberty University in Virginia is unlikely to attract many liberal students.
What has changed, he said, is that state laws have started to influence college choices.
Mr. Raatz did not think the university president would actively speak out against the governor. But he said it’s a concern for universities that desperately need out-of-state students and the big bucks they bring.
Goebel said Monday that there can be a conflict of interest between the Legislature, which “serves the entire state, not just the students who attend the university,” and the university, which wants to attract students from all over the country.
“Currently, higher education is at a difficult time, with many universities finding it difficult to enroll enough students and, in particular, to generate enough net revenue to continue to provide a high-quality education. I’m a little concerned about education,” Goebel said. “Therefore, further challenges are not very welcome at this time.”
Schools also need to maintain their appeal to out-of-state students, he said.
In fact, the short-term benefit is an increase in net revenue from out-of-state students, he said.
But in the long run, it’s also important that the university admits talented students who hope to stay in the state and become an asset to the state throughout their careers.
Arts & Sciences groups found that liberal students were more likely to cite specific issues that would cause them to exclude the state, while conservative students were most likely to exclude the state due to broader concerns that it was “too Democratic.” I discovered that.
According to Arts & Science Group, the majority of liberal students who exclude schools in certain states are motivated by a long list of specific policy issues, led by “abortion and reproductive rights” and “overly conservative LGBTQ+ laws.” listed.
More than a dozen states have banned abortions since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade in 2022, according to KFF.
After experiencing a spring of campus protests over the war in Gaza, the Arts & Science Group found that there were mixed messages in how students viewed schools taking sides on political issues.
More than 60% said schools should remain neutral and not take a stance on political issues, but nearly half also said schools should take a stance on political issues that are important to students.
The Art & Science Group also evaluated opinions on affirmative action and heritage-based admissions.
About 4 in 10 students supported preferential treatment for athletes, legacy students, in-state students, and students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups.
That’s where the Arts & Science Group found its most surprising findings, Goebel said.
Conservative students were significantly more likely than liberals or moderates to support colleges that use different admissions criteria for racial and ethnic groups to increase diversity.
Goebel called the results “counterintuitive.”
“That’s something we’re interested in picking up in the future,” he said. “We weren’t expecting that at all.”
