This article was reprinted with permission from Virginia Mercury.
An overwhelming majority of voters are proud of Virginia’s colleges and universities and feel they are equipping young people to succeed, even as, across the country, frustrations mount due to rapidly shifting federal education systems and rising tuition costs.
According to poll results released by Virginia Business Higher Education Council (VBHEC), 90% of respondents both Democrats and Republicans in Virginia are proud of the colleges and universities in the commonwealth because they see a “strong connection” between the work on Virginia’s campuses, the prospects for the state’s economy to grow and for young people to succeed in the job market.
Virginia voters’ views contrast national surveys from the Pew Research Center and Third Way, which found both Republican and Democratic voters cited high costs as one of the key reasons for the lack of confidence in institutions over the past few years. While most Democratic respondents pinpointed rising costs and quality as concerns about the quality of higher education in America, Republican respondents said “professors bringing their political and social views into the classroom is a major reason why the higher education system is headed in the wrong direction,” according to the Pew survey.
The VBHEC poll results found that 90% of Virginians want their children to attend one of Virginia’s public colleges and universities and 81% of respondents said Virginia’s colleges are doing a good job of preparing young people for success in a changing economy. Conversely, 21% of Republicans and 12% of Democrats said Virginia colleges are doing a bad job in these areas.
Public Opinion Strategies and Frederick polls, two national opinion firms representing both parties Republicans and Democrats, conducted the VBHEC study in December with 800 registered Virginia voters aged 18 and older. The margin of error for the survey is ±3.95%.
Founded in 1994, the VBHEC’s mission is to enhance the performance of Virginia’s public colleges, universities, and community colleges and their state funding so institutions can produce a significant impact on Virginia’s economy.
Dennis Treacy, chair of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, said in a statement that the link between higher education, the growth of the commonwealth’s economy, and the lifelong success of its young people is “crystal clear” to all Virginians.
“They get it. They know that when we invest in our colleges, universities, and community colleges — making degrees and credentials affordable for all and providing work-based learning opportunities that prepare students for the jobs and careers of tomorrow — the commonwealth is stronger for it,” said Treacy.
Last year, CNBC named Virginia the best state to do business after examining the commonwealth’s K-12 public schools and higher education institutions.
Kirk Cox, president of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council and former Virginia House Speaker, said it’s “unusual” to find something that unites all Virginians, considering the current volatile political environment. He said the VBHEC’s poll results should send a message to all current and aspiring political leaders.
“Whatever disagreements voters may have on other issues, one thing that very large majorities in both parties strongly agree about is the need to prioritize investments in our top-ranked higher education so we maintain our competitive advantage as the ‘talent state’ and so young Virginians and career-changing adults have the credentials they need to succeed,” Cox said in a statement.
