Do universities make students left-wing?

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It’s often been said that universities produce left-wing graduates. The evidence suggests that is true to an extent, with variation between men and women, different fields of study, and the number of years in education. However the reasons for this phenomenon are less clear.

Evidence suggests that people who have attended university are on the whole more left-wing than those who have not. This is particularly true for social attitudes, for example university graduates are more likely to prioritise left-wing associated values like equality, less likely to hold racial prejudices, and more likely to hold positive views about the European Union. Education was one of the strongest determinants of whether someone voted Leave or Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum. Additionally, students who completed postgraduate education were even more left wing, suggesting a correlation between years of tertiary education and left wing beliefs.

There is evidence to suggest that one’s field of study can be correlated with political leaning: studies have shown that in particular, liberal arts students’ views become more left wing during their tertiary education than other students, for example economics students. However as a whole, students are still to the left of their non-studying age-group peers. That is partly because young people as a whole tend to be to the left of older people. However it is also true across all age groups that graduates are to the left of non-graduates.

One theory to explain this phenomenon is selection bias– that people from left wing families choose to go to university more than people from right wing families. There is interesting research to suggest that the left wing effect of university attendance is minimised when taking political upbringing into account, suggesting that it may be true that students were already left wing before attending university. However, other evidence suggests that many left wing students are rebelling against their right wing upbringing, so it is unclear.

Another possible explanation is that university educators are more left-wing, and influence their students. However I suspect the main effect that educators have on students’ beliefs is promoting an open-minded, pro-learning, evidence-based culture, rather than explicitly advocating left wing views. That culture may be causal in students becoming more left wing, although it must be noted that one does not have to be left-wing in order to be open-minded, pro-learning and supportive of evidence.

Among young people and students, in recent years it may have been more socially acceptable to be left wing than right wing, particularly among women.

Perhaps then, one must consider social dynamics and cultural factors. Living in close proximity to a diverse group of educated, young people, many university students are forming explicitly political beliefs for the first time. The impact of their peers’ views is likely significant. Among young people and students, in recent years it may have been more socially acceptable to be left wing than right wing, particularly among women. Social media has spread messages too, like Black Lives Matter, #MeToo and other progressive causes. These factors may contribute to a feeling of left wing views being more socially acceptable among young people.

More research into the factors behind students being more left wing is required. However there are also signs that the trend of young people being left wing may be becoming more complicated, with young men in particular becoming more right wing than in the last decade.