By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
A new poll by Gallup has revealed “about eight in 10 current and prospective college students say a college’s policies related to firearms on campus are at least somewhat important in their decision to enroll or remain enrolled.”
The polling firm released its survey results Thursday. Significantly, the poll results amplify the already recognized divide between the two major political parties, with Gallup noting, “The largest importance gap across subgroups is a nine-percentage-point difference between Democrats and Republicans; however, more than three-quarters of current and prospective Republican students say campus gun policies are important in their enrollment decisions.”
According to Gallup, these poll results come from the Lumina Foundation-Gallup 2024 State of Higher Education Study, conducted Oct. 9-Nov. 16, 2023. The survey involved more than 14,000 current and prospective college students, Gallup said.
“For some students, campus gun policy preference—particularly their desire for more restrictive gun laws on campus—may be related to concerns that they, themselves, may be at risk of gun violence on campus,” Gallup said. “One in three currently enrolled associate and bachelor’s degree students who attend at least half of their courses on campus say they worry ‘a great deal’ or ‘a fair amount’ about gun violence on their own campus.”
Guns on campus has become an issue in recent years, and Gallup says poll respondents by an 84-16 percent spread said they would be more likely to remain enrolled at a college with “tough restrictions on gun ownership that banned or made it hard for people to have guns on campus.” The percentage goes up to 88 percent in the 18-to-25 age group. Ninety-one percent of those respondents identifying as Democrats say this is important while only 71 percent of those identified as Republicans say so. Among Independents, 85 percent say it is important.
More females (87%) than males (80%) are more likely to choose a college with restrictive campus gun policies, the study revealed.
According to the Gallup report, “As gun rights advocates continue to win legal victories regarding firearms and where individuals may carry them, colleges and universities may soon be required to comply with state or federal rulings that update campus gun regulations. In 2023, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the University of Georgia Board of Regents’ policy to allow guns on campus; one year earlier, the Montana Supreme Court vacated a state law allowing concealed carry on Montana University System campuses. A challenge to the University of Michigan’s campus firearms ban has been appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.
“More than eight in 10 current and prospective students say these policies are at least somewhat important in their enrollment considerations,” Gallup states, “and a majority of those who factor gun policies into their decisions prefer a campus that restricts firearms. While many public universities are currently subjected to state laws that govern campus gun policies, those that allow firearms on campus may risk losing potential applicants to other universities that better align with students’ gun policy preferences.
