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Lumina Foundation

Lumina Foundation and Gallup are committed to studying perceptions around the most pressing issues facing higher education.

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Policies and Laws: How they're impacting college enrollment

The decision whether and where to pursue a college degree involves several often-competing considerations, and the importance placed on each factor varies across individuals. Layered upon these highly individualized decisions are state-level policies that impact students' on-campus experience.

A Lumina Foundation and Gallup survey of roughly 14,000 U.S. adults without a college degree -- including nearly 7,000 adults who are considering or currently pursuing a two- or four-year degree -- finds that while these legislative considerations are generally less influential than those related to cost, flexibility and quality of education, they are an important factor for most current and prospective students.

Between 70% and 80% of adults who are considering or currently pursuing a two- or four-year degree say policies related to reproductive healthcare, guns and restrictions of curriculum are at least somewhat important to their decision whether to enroll or remain enrolled in a program.

Policies and Laws: How They’re Impacting College Enrollment report cover

Download the report to discover how major policy shifts factor into students' enrollment decisions and whether students prefer to attend colleges in states with more or less restrictive policies in these areas.

Results for the Lumina-Gallup study are based on web surveys conducted from Oct. 9-Nov.16, 2023, with samples of 6,015 students who are currently enrolled in a postsecondary education program (certificate, associate or bachelor's degree), 5,012 adults who were previously enrolled in a postsecondary education program but had not completed an associate or bachelor's degree, and 2,943 adults who had never enrolled in a postsecondary education program.

All respondents were between the ages of 18 and 59 and had a high school diploma or equivalent but not an associate or bachelor's degree.

For analysis conducted in the report, the population of respondents was limited to the 6,934 who are currently enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program or who have considered pursuing either an associate or bachelor's degree within the past two years. Of these respondents, 2,532 are enrolled in a bachelor's degree program, 1,636 are enrolled in an associate degree program, 1,456 have considered a bachelor's degree program, and 1,968 have considered an associate degree program; respondents may be included in multiple categories.

Respondents were interviewed via Dynata's non-probability web-based panel.

The data are weighted to match national demographics of gender, age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, education, and region for the population of U.S. adults aged 18 to 59 with a high school diploma but without a college degree. Demographic weighting targets are based on the most recent American Community Survey figures.

71% of current/prospective students say policies regarding abortion in the state are important to their college decision
5:1 Current/prospective students who say gun policies are important to their enrollment decision prefer their college restrict guns on campus by a more than five-to-one margin
76% of current/prospective college students say legislation restricting discussion of "divisive topics" influences their college decision

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