Although it is common knowledge that voting behavior is significantly lower (and can sometimes seem practically non-existent) among many college students, it has been found that certain groups of students are voting more than others based on what they are studying in school.
Tufts University’s Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) released data from The National Study of Learning, Voting, and Engagement, with a detailed analysis into voting behaviors of millions of college students across the country. With the 2016 presidential election in full swing, these findings provide some insight into the minds of college students and their voting patterns.
Data for the study was drawn from college students who voted in the 2012 presidential election. 7.4 million students at 783 institutions participated in the study.
Ellen Wexler of Inside Higher Ed reported that “across all disciplines, engineering and math majors (at 35 percent) were the least likely to vote.”
Nancy Thomas, director of Tuft’s IDHE, said that most people assume sociology or political science majors are the most likely to vote, logically speaking. However, their assumptions were incorrect, as it was education majors who took the lead in the 2012 voting polls. 55 percent of education disciplines voted, while humanities, health, communications, and social science majors trailed close behind.
From these voting trends, one could draw theories about what kinds of young students choose to act on their political beliefs, or have an interest in elections at all. The results could also be a reflection of the topics these particular majors are educated in. But, what do they really say about our nation’s college students, who are now dominating the workforce and could very well sway the results of the 2016 election?
After four years of development, we may see significant changes in which students choose to vote. It seems evident the 2016 election will speak volumes for the millennial generation, beginning with their voting patterns and how they have changed with the passing of time.
