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Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1280

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Title: Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America. EdWorkingPaper No. 25-1280
Language: English
Authors: Riley K. Acton, Emily E. Cook, Paola Ugalde A., Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University
Source: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. 2025.
Availability: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 74
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Spencer Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Research
Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Higher Education
Postsecondary Education
Descriptors: College Freshmen, College Choice, Political Attitudes, Political Affiliation, Politics of Education, Community Influence, Family Influence, Political Influences, Religious Factors, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Decision Making, Peer Relationship
Abstract: We examine the role of students' political views in shaping college enrollment decisions in the United States. We hypothesize that students derive utility from attending institutions aligned with their political identities, which could reinforce demographic and regional disparities in educational attainment and reduce ideological diversity on campuses. Using four decades of survey data on college freshmen, we document increasing political polarization in colleges' student bodies, which is not fully explained by sorting along demographic, socioeconomic, or academic lines. To further explore these patterns, we conduct a series of survey-based choice experiments that quantify the value students place on political alignment relative to factors such as cost and proximity. We find that both liberal and conservative students prefer institutions with more like-minded peers and, especially, with fewer students from the opposite side of the political spectrum. The median student is willing to pay up to $2,617 (12.5%) more to attend a college where the share of students with opposing political views is 10 percentage points lower, suggesting that political identity plays a meaningful role in the college choice process. [Additional funding provided by the LSU Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research.]
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: ED678249
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Riley+K%2E+Acton%22">Riley K. Acton</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Emily+E%2E+Cook%22">Emily E. Cook</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Paola+Ugalde+A%2E%22">Paola Ugalde A.</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Annenberg+Institute+for+School+Reform+at+Brown+University%22">Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University</searchLink>
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  Data: Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University. Brown University Box 1985, Providence, RI 02912. Tel: 401-863-7990; Fax: 401-863-1290; e-mail: annenberg@brown.edu; Web site: https://annenberg.brown.edu/
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  Data: We examine the role of students' political views in shaping college enrollment decisions in the United States. We hypothesize that students derive utility from attending institutions aligned with their political identities, which could reinforce demographic and regional disparities in educational attainment and reduce ideological diversity on campuses. Using four decades of survey data on college freshmen, we document increasing political polarization in colleges' student bodies, which is not fully explained by sorting along demographic, socioeconomic, or academic lines. To further explore these patterns, we conduct a series of survey-based choice experiments that quantify the value students place on political alignment relative to factors such as cost and proximity. We find that both liberal and conservative students prefer institutions with more like-minded peers and, especially, with fewer students from the opposite side of the political spectrum. The median student is willing to pay up to $2,617 (12.5%) more to attend a college where the share of students with opposing political views is 10 percentage points lower, suggesting that political identity plays a meaningful role in the college choice process. [Additional funding provided by the LSU Provost's Fund for Innovation in Research.]
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  Data: ED678249
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      – SubjectFull: College Freshmen
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      – SubjectFull: College Choice
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      – SubjectFull: Political Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Decision Making
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