Should Colleges Grant Preferential Admission?

Publication Date: 11/01/2025 5:00 AM CST

Should Colleges Grant Preferential Admission?

Publication: 11/01/2025 5:00 AM CST

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Seventy-two percent (72%) support the Supreme Court's ruling that it is unconstitutional for colleges to give preferential admission to students based on race, while 19% disagree.
- These numbers include 48% who Strongly Agree and 9% who Strongly Disagree.
- By a margin of 88% to 9%, Republicans support the ruling.
- Likewise, 59% of Democrats support it, while 30% disagree.
In line with this sentiment, 59% think it is appropriate for a school to lose federal funding if the school is found to be giving preferential admission to some students based on race.
- One quarter (24%) disagree.
- Three quarters (76%) of Republicans say schools should lose funding in such a case, while just 11% say they should not.
- Democrats are more divided. Forty-four percent (44%) say the schools should lose funding, while 36% say they should not.
On the question of giving preference to children of Alumni, a majority are also opposed.
- Twenty-three percent (23%) say it is appropriate for colleges to give preferential admissions to the children of alumni, while 58% disagree.
- On this question, numbers for each party are very similar.
- Just 46% of postgraduates say it is inappropriate, compared to 60% of those without a postgraduate degree.
A similar majority (59%) say that preference is given to these children to keep wealthy donors happy, while 25% say those children are given preferential treatment to help foster community and in a case where tie-breakers are necessary.
- Again, there is almost no partisan divide on this question.
- However, postgraduates are again double digits away from the rest of the nation. Forty-nine percent (49%) of those with a postgraduate degree say preferential treatment is given to alumni to keep donors happy, a view held by 61% of those without a postgraduate degree.

This data is from a Napolitan News Service survey of 1,000 Registered Voters conducted online by Scott Rasmussen, October 27-28, 2025. RMG Research, Inc., conducted the field work for the survey. It has a margin of error of +/- 3.1.