How Students Are Weighing Politics In Their College Choices

Choosing which school to attend has always been a high‑stakes decision, but in 2026 it carries a new layer of complexity. Across the country, many students are weighing whether a campus reflects the kind of community they want to grow in – politically.

A new survey from Kaplan, gathering opinions from 500 aspiring college students, found that 56% of high school students say it’s important to attend a college where their peers share similar political or social views. Just 32% say it doesn’t matter, and 12% said they were unsure how they felt.

Kaplan’s research team says that students are also paying attention to how institutions appear politically in the public eye. A good 63% of students believe colleges should issue official statements on how they feel about major current events.

THE PRESSURE ON COLLEGES TO TAKE A STAND

To go alongside this, a report by Lee Gardner in The Chronicle of Higher Education says that presidents and provosts are increasingly expected to respond to everything from global conflicts to domestic policy shifts. A tension between transparency and overreach also exists, however, with 20% of students in Kaplan’s survey saying schools should remain silent on political matters.

Still, the picture is still a bit blurry. Even with politics woven into the college search, most students aren’t overly anxious about how their own views will be perceived once they arrive on campus. A whole 54% say they’re not concerned, while 31% admit they are concerned.

Senior vice president at Kaplan Jason Bedford says this is a part of a larger cultural recalibration. “Higher education is navigating a louder landscape… politics, ethics, and social issues are increasingly reflected in the student voice,” he says.

Bedford also points out that when students finally make their decisions on which college to attend, fundamentals like affordability, academic quality, location, and career outcomes still win over politics.

Many others have also found these to be the most important factors – so much so that sites like Niche even publish an annual rankings that score each school by these factors that students today are targeting.

“Many aspiring college students want to learn in environments where they feel comfortable with the political climate, but pragmatism ultimately drives enrollment decisions,” Bedford adds.

Next Page: AACSB Names New President

© Copyright 2026 Poets & Quants. All rights reserved. This article may not be republished, rewritten or otherwise distributed without written permission. To reprint or license this article or any content from Poets & Quants, please submit your request HERE.