College students are ready to make their voices heard in the upcoming 2024 presidential election.
In a new BestColleges survey of 1,000 currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, 35% of those who will be eligible to vote in November say they plan to vote for Donald Trump for president. Slightly fewer students (33%) say they plan to vote for Joe Biden, while 23% are unsure.
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Choosing beyond Biden and Trump
Regardless of who they plan to vote for, 43% of eligible students still say they would consider voting for a third-party candidate this election cycle.
Among different demographic groups, men (47%) and heterosexual students (43%) are notably more likely than women (27%) and LGBTQ+ students (12%) to plan to vote for Trump this November.
Conversely, BIPOC (41%) and LGBTQ+ students (50%) are more likely than white students (30%) and heterosexual or straight students (29%) to plan to vote for Biden.
Trump voters more likely to be men—and heterosexual
Among different demographic groups, men (47%) and heterosexual students (43%) are notably more likely than women (27%) and LGBTQ+ students (12%) to plan to vote for Trump this November.
Conversely, BIPOC (41%) and LGBTQ+ students (50%) are more likely than white students (30%) and heterosexual or straight students (29%) to plan to vote for Biden.
Students who plan to vote for Biden are more likely than students who plan to vote for Trump to say they would consider voting for a third-party candidate (42% vs. 32%).
Economy, Reproductive Rights, and Student Debt Rank as Top Issues for Students
Of the many issues in the spotlight this election year, college students are most likely to say the economy, employment, and inflation (46%); abortion and reproductive rights (35%); and college affordability and student loan debt (29%) are the most important issues to them right now.
Surveyed students share concerns about economy and social policy
When it comes to the economy, most students currently rate it as bad or very bad (65%). Additionally, 42% blame President Biden for the state of the economy.
This isn’t the first time students have expressed concerns about inflation and the economy under Biden’s presidency.
In a 2023 BestColleges survey, 60% of students reported that inflation over the last three years had impacted their mental well-being. Even more students (66%) said that inflation had impacted their financial well-being over time.
Under Biden’s presidency, students also saw the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the demise of his plan to illegally forgive up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt per borrower.
When asked who they blame most for the debt forgiveness plan failing, students are equally likely to blame President Biden (34%) and the U.S. Supreme Court (34%). Fewer students blame Republicans (26%) or Democrats (26%), while 18% of students are unsure who to blame.
Televised Debates Impact Students’ Views and Votes — More Than Other Factors
Of the many factors that might influence one’s political views or voting behaviors, students are most likely to say televised debates are impactful or very impactful on them (42%).
Students additionally say news organizations (31%), their peers (31%), and social media posts from political candidates or political organizations (29%) are impactful or very impactful on their views and voting behaviors.
No shortage of influencers for surveyed students
Roughly 2 in 10 students say voting guides (23%), social media posts from friends or family (23%), and specific statements made by their college instructors or administrators (22%) are impactful or very impactful.
Fewer students cite social media posts from celebrities or influencers (18%) and, perhaps surprisingly, Taylor Swift’s social media/Instagram (11%) as impactful or very impactful on their views and behaviors.
Students Feel Unrepresented, Lack Trust in U.S. Political System
Few students report feeling represented in national elections (29%). Instead, more than 1 in 3 students (37%) say they do not.
An even larger percentage of students say they do not trust the U.S. political system (50%).
Half of surveyed students don’t trust the system
Men (35%) and millennials (42%) are more likely than women (24%) and Generation Z (26%) to say they feel represented in national elections.
Millennials are additionally more likely than Gen Z students to say they trust the U.S. political system (34% vs. 21%).
Students also report a lack of trust in the democratic process. Only about 2 in 5 students (39%) believe that the 2024 presidential election will be a free and fair election. That said, this finding marks some increase from the 2020 voting season, when 31% of students believed the election would be free and fair.
Biden supporters have faith in free and fair elections
Students who plan to vote for Biden are much more likely to have faith in a free and fair election than those who plan to vote for Trump (57% vs. 36%).
In general, students don’t see their interests represented by either the Democratic or Republican parties.
Only 1 in 3 students (33%) agree that the Democratic party adequately represents the interests of college students. Just 22% say the Republican party does.
Instead, 46% of students say the Republican party does not adequately represent students’ interests, and just over one-quarter of students (27%) say the Democratic party does not.
Nearly equal percentages of students consider themselves either more liberal (34%) or more conservative (30%) than the rest of the population. However, the majority of students agree that, generally, college encourages more liberal/progressive attitudes (54%).
Students Still Believe Voting Matters
Regardless of how they identify politically, most students believe that election outcomes have a direct impact on their day-to-day lives (52%) and that voting matters (74%).
Students who plan to vote for Biden are much more likely than those who plan to vote for Trump to say election outcomes have a direct impact on their day-to-day lives (66% vs. 53%).
Around 9 in 10 college students (91%) say they are registered to vote or plan to register before the election. Among these students, 88% plan to vote in the presidential election this November.
Methodology
This survey was conducted from March 20-28 and was fielded by Pure Spectrum. Survey participants included 1,000 respondents nationwide who were currently enrolled in an on-campus (52%), online (16%), or hybrid (32%) undergraduate or graduate degree program. Respondents were 18-62 years of age, with the majority (77%) ages 18-24, and currently pursuing an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or professional degree. The respondents for the survey were screened by various quality checks, including systems like Relevant ID, and responses were manually reviewed to ensure consistency and accuracy.
A note on gender: BestColleges also surveyed nonbinary/gender-nonconforming students but did not surface enough participants in this group to reliably report on their responses.
This story was produced by BestColleges and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.