2026 Spring Seminar Series Seminar: Riley Acton Miami University

This seminar is co-sponsored by the UKY Gatton College of Business & Economics. 

Political Views and College Choices in a Polarized America

Co-authors: Emily E. Cook (Texas A&M University, CESifo), Paola Ugalde A. (Louisiana State University)

Abstract: We examine the role of students’ political views in shaping college enrollment decisions in the United States. Using four decades of survey data on college freshmen, we document increasing political polarization in colleges’ student bodies, which is not fully explained by sorting along demographic, socioeconomic, or academic lines. We then conduct survey-based choice experiments to assess whether student preferences contribute to these sorting patterns. We find that political identity plays a meaningful role in the college choice process, a pattern that could reinforce demographic and regional disparities in educational attainment and reduce ideological diversity on campuses.