College Degree Makes Grads More Liberal

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute National Civic Literacy Board has released its 2009 Civic Literacy Report, entitled “Shaping of the American Mind: The Diverging Influences of the College Degree & Civic Learning on American Beliefs.” Its findings substantiate the claim that a college degree makes graduates more liberal, while true increased civic liberty makes graduates more conservative. The report is ISI’s fourth consecutive report on civic literacy, and the organization calls this report “groundbreaking.”

The Institute attempted to answer the question, “If earning a bachelor’s degree does not significantly impact civic knowledge, what impact does college have on civic life?” ISI polled 2,508 respondents, asking whether they strongly agreed, somewhat agreed, were neutral, somewhat disagreed, or strongly disagreed with thirty-nine propositions that covered a broad range of American public issues.

The ISI used multivariate regression analyses to compare the “independent influence that earning a college degree, acquiring more civic knowledge, and other factors in a person’s life exert of their views on some of the perennial controversies of our age.”

The Institute’s first major finding expresses that, “While college fails to adequately transmit civic knowledge, it influences opinion on polarizing social issues.” The report showed that a college graduate would be more likely than a non-graduate to favor same-sex marriage and to favor abortion. They would be less likely to believe anyone can achieve the “American Dream,” favor prayer in public schools, and believe in the authority of the Bible.

The report’s second finding, “Compared to college, civic knowledge exerts a broader and more diverse influence on the American mind,” contrasts American history taught in college with true civic literacy, with the latter emerging as the stronger. Acquiring civic knowledge influences an American mind on four times as many propositions as attending college, and it is also proven to produce a more independent frame of mind.

Thirdly, the report finds that “civic knowledge increases a person’s regard for America’s ideals and free institutions.” The person with true, complete civic knowledge, rather than the college graduate, is more likely to believe in American ideals, its founding documents and free enterprise. The civic literate person will be less likely to: believe that America corrupts good people, agree that the Founding documents are obsolete, agree that global capitalism produces few winners and many losers, and to agree that the Ten Commandments are irrelevant today.

The Institute had one last additional major finding: “how college teaching alters the public beliefs of professors.” The report proved that being a college professor alters one’s views on propositions involving “education, economics, religion and America.” College professors are more likely to believe that America corrupts good people, the 10 Commandments are irrelevant today, raising the minimum wage decreases employment, educators should instill more doubt in students, and homeschooling families neglect their community obligations. Interestingly, legislators should subsidize a college in proportion to its students’ learning about America.

In its conclusion, the report emphasizes its opinion that “Colleges that can produce graduates without having a significant impact on whether those students believe America’s Founding documents remain relevant are not fulfilling the civic purpose that [George] Washington and [Benjamin] Franklin had in mind for higher education.” The fact that American students can gain a college degree and not gain true civic knowledge, and in some cases lose civic knowledge, will severely detriment future generations of American Students.

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