OpinionatED: Voters’ Views on Education in 2024
These findings are the first in a series of data that All4Ed will be releasing over the next few weeks.
Other topics in the poll focused on areas such as:
Key Takeaways
A majority of voters, regardless of party, support public education.
We should increase funding to give parents vouchers so they can send their child to the school that best meets their needs.
We should increase funding to improve public schools so that they better meet the needs of students for the jobs and careers of the future.
Most voters do not want to abolish the U.S. Department of Education.
Voters, regardless of party or demographic, support connecting education to jobs and careers.
All4Ed worked with Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group to design and administer an online survey from October 30–November 5, 2024. The survey reached a total of 1,000 voters nationwide with additional samples of 100 Black voters, 100 Latino voters, 100 Asian American voters, and 100 Indigenous registered voters; 100 voters aged 18–24 years; 200 voters each in AL, LA, ME, MI, OK, VA, WA, WI, and WV; 600 voters in CA; 200 business leaders nationwide; 200 educators nationwide; and a convenience sample of 71 school district leaders and principals.
The base sample was weighted slightly by age, gender, region, race and ethnicity, party identification, educational attainment, urbanicity, marital status, marital status by gender, the ballot, ballot by gender, and ballot by gender and race in accordance with Edison exit polls. Additional race and age samples were weighted by gender, age, and the ballot and weighted down to an effective sample of 1,000 to reflect their proportion of 2024 voters nationwide. State and occupational samples were kept separate from the base sample. State samples were weighted by gender, region, age, race and ethnicity, and the ballot.
The margin of error for the total sample is +/-3.1 percentage points. The margin of error for race and ethnicity samples, age samples, business leaders, and educators is +/-9.8 percentage points. The margin of error for state oversamples is +/-6.9 percentage points. The margin of error for the California sample is +/-4.0 percentage points.
Many of the questions in the survey were split sampled, as denoted by an asterisk (*) in the graphics below. In a split-sampled test, a random half of the survey respondents receive one version of a question while the other half of the survey respondents receive a different version of the question. This enables us to isolate a word or phrase to understand its impact on a concept by comparing the results of the two questions across the population.
Gender
53% Female
47% Male
Age
Race
Region
Education
Party Identification
Democrat
43%
Republican
48%
Independent
9%
Vote
Children in Household
Our Findings
Click here to read the executive summary or click on each of the headings below to more deeply explore the findings on voters’ views across the following areas:
- Education in this election, including how much voters heard about education—and from which candidate—and which messages broke through the noise
- Education institutions and the federal role, including opposition to closing the U.S. Department of Education
- Education funding, including whether more spending on public schools is needed
- College, career skills, and technical education, including the value of four-year colleges, community colleges, and job training programs
- Preparing for education and training beyond high school, including pathways for dual enrollment programs, work-based learning, internships, apprenticeships, and counseling
- Motivating education issues for voters, including priorities that would make voters more likely to support a candidate for president or the U.S. Congress
- Voters wanted to hear more about education from the presidential candidates this election season. Fifty-five percent say they heard too little, and that percentage is even higher among older men, Asian American voters, Latino men, and parents of public school students.
- Nearly half of voters heard little or nothing about education from the candidates, though they remember hearing more from Kamala Harris than Donald Trump.
- Of the states oversampled, only voters in Oklahoma and West Virginia heard more from Trump.
- What voters heard about education made them slightly more likely to vote for Harris than Trump, though nearly as many say it made no difference in their likelihood of voting for either candidate.
- The education messaging voters heard tended to be about college affordability, eliminating the Department of Education (which most voters oppose), and increasing education affordability and access. Fewer voters mention hearing about “culture war” issues.
- Voters trust Democrats more when it comes to education issues, while they trust Republicans more on the economy.
All groups of voters wanted to hear more about education, including both Trump and Harris voters. Fifty-five percent of voters overall say the candidates talked too little about education issues. Particularly, older men, Asian Americans, Latino men, and public school parents wanted to hear more about education issues.
In this year’s Presidential election, do you think the candidates talked about education issues:
Voters across states wanted to hear more from the candidates about education issues.
In this year’s Presidential election, do you think the candidates talked about education issues:
Voters do not see education as having played a major part of this Presidential campaign. To the extent they heard anything about education, it was more from Harris than Trump.
How much did you hear or read during this Presidential election about education issues?
Who do you remember hearing from the most about education issues this Presidential election?
Of the little voters heard about education, the messages that came through most were focused on college affordability and student loans, reducing education funding, and eliminating the Department of Education.
What was the focus of what you heard about education during the Presidential election? (Open end)
Democrats have an edge on all education issues, but more voters trust Republicans when it comes to economic issues.
Which party do you trust more on each of the following issues?
- Voters strongly support a broad education agenda that includes creating a safe and welcoming school environment, public school funding, career and technical training, community colleges, and preparing students for work and college.
- Voters are very favorable toward programs like job skills and career training, by any name they are called, as well as teachers and colleges, with public schools falling in a second tier of favorability.
- A majority of voters are favorable toward both teachers’ unions and labor unions, though they are in a bottom tier of education institutions. In a sign of the realignment in the Republican voting coalition, in which non-college-educated voters are now more numerous, Republicans are net-positive toward labor unions. But Republicans are less favorable toward teachers’ unions
- All of these institutions and entities are more popular than either presidential candidate.
- Voters give the federal government a poor rating across dimensions of education, including making college and job training more affordable, reducing debt, supporting educators and students, and preparing students for college and the workforce. They only rate the government positively on providing internet access needed for schoolwork. Republicans are consistently more likely than Democrats to give a negative rating, and independents resemble Republicans.
- A majority of voters (58 percent) oppose eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, while only 29 percent support such a move. Support for abolishing the Department of Education is concentrated among subgroups of men—particularly Republican men and fathers. The strongest opponents to eliminating the Department of Education are Democrats, Black voters, and older voters. Republicans oppose eliminating the Department of Education slightly more than favor abolishing the agency.
Job skills-related programs like community and technical colleges, career and technical training and education, workforce training, and two-year colleges are very popular, as are teachers.
Below is a list of people or groups. For each, please indicate how favorable you are of that person or group. If you haven't heard of it or if you don't know enough about it to have an impression, please indicate that.
Voters give the federal government a poor rating across all dimensions of education except providing internet access.
Now you are going to read a list of issues. For each one, please indicate if you think the federal government is doing an excellent, good, just fair, or poor job on that issue.
A majority of voters oppose eliminating the U.S. Department of Education, with 4 in 10 strongly opposed. Trump voters are split, and Republicans slightly oppose.
Do you favor or oppose eliminating the U.S. Department of Education?
A majority of voters in each state oversampled oppose eliminating the Department of Education, with large majorities against the idea in several states.
Do you favor or oppose eliminating the U.S. Department of Education?
- Voters support increasing funding for all areas of education except private colleges and universities. They are especially responsive to increasing funding for creating a positive and welcoming environment for all students, K–12 public schools, career and college preparation, early childhood education, teacher salaries, and providing high-speed internet.
- While a majority (56 percent) of voters would rather increase education funding than decrease or keep it the same, voters are tax sensitive. Only 39 percent would still want to increase funding if it meant they paid more in taxes, and Trump voters, women, mothers, and Latinx voters are the most tax sensitive.
- While most Democrats and many independents accept the premise that federal funding for education should be increased, a significant number of Republicans would prefer to keep federal spending on education the same or at a lower level.
- Voters do not want their state to decrease education funding and would rather increase taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals, increase federal funding, or cut other programs or services to fund public schools.
- Voters are more likely to accept decreasing funding for public schools when it is framed as “tightening our belts” instead of “cutting funding.” Using language like "cut funding" pushes voters toward other options, such as increasing taxes on the wealthy.
- Voters respond to messages about reducing waste and using existing education funding more efficiently rather than spending more money on education; 68 percent agree with this statement, and 34 percent strongly agree.
- Over two-thirds of voters prefer increasing public school funding over increasing funding for vouchers, including majorities of Republicans and Trump voters.
A majority of voters want federal public education funding to be increased, and nearly 4 in 10 would increase funding even if it meant paying higher taxes. Black voters, Harris voters, fathers, and parents of students in public and charter schools are most likely to be willing to pay more in taxes to spend more on education, while Latino voters and mothers are more tax sensitive.
Do you think federal funding for public schools and public education should be increased, decreased, or kept at the same level? And do you think federal funding for public schools should be increased even if it meant you would pay more in taxes or not?
If their state had a budget deficit threatening public schools, a plurality of voters would prefer to increase taxes on wealthy corporations and households and use that money for public schools. Voters are nine points more likely to accept a decrease in public school funding when it’s described as a move to “tighten our belts” versus “cut funding.”
If your state were to have a budget deficit that threatened funding for public schools, which of the following actions would you prefer to happen?
Voters across oversampled states also want to increase funding for public education, but Louisiana, Virginia, and Wisconsin voters are least willing to pay more in taxes to do so.
Do you think federal funding for public schools and public education should be increased, decreased, or kept at the same level? And do you think federal funding for public schools should be increased even if it meant you would pay more in taxes or not?
When asked to choose, majorities of Democratic and Republican voters prefer
increasing funding
for public schools over vouchers.
We should increase funding to give parents vouchers so they can send their child to the school that best meets their needs.
We should increase funding to improve public schools so that they better meet the needs of students for the jobs and careers of the future.
- Options for education and training, such as community and technical colleges, career and technical training or education, and workforce training are incredibly popular and favored more than traditional four-year colleges and universities and private universities.
- Most voters like these programs no matter what they are called, though there is some drop-off among independent voters when they are described as “workforce training,” which tends to invoke a narrower scope of training for one particular job rather than providing tools that could help in many jobs or careers.
- Voters agree there is a strong need to expand options for quality and affordable college and training, provide lifelong learning options, and rethink the approach to education and job skills training to adapt to the nation’s changing economy. Business leaders and educators also see the need for more options and different approaches.
- While voters see the value in a college education to get ahead, they do not have a strong sense that a four-year degree is necessary to have a good job or income. Instead, they have an appetite for a wider array of options.
- Technical and career training options are popular across party lines, but there is a strong partisan divide when it comes to four-year colleges and universities and public colleges and universities, with Republicans and independents much less favorable than Democrats.
- Voters are sensitive to the costs of four-year colleges, and many do not see it as worth the cost. There is a 15-point drop-off in how many voters think a four-year degree is worth it compared to worth it for the cost. They see the value of community college for the cost as closer to its overall value.
- Voters, and particularly educators, trust Democrats more than Republicans when it comes to education after high school and job skills and career training during and after high school. They also trust Democrats more than Republicans to lower the cost of higher education.
Community and technical colleges, career and technical training, and career and technical education are most popular and favorable among nearly nine in 10 voters. More traditional university options are viewed somewhat less favorably.
Below is a list of people or groups. For each, please indicate how favorable you are of that person or group. If you haven't heard of it or if you don't know enough about it to have an impression, please indicate that.
Voters overwhelmingly agree that we need to expand the options people have through job training, affordable college, skills, and mid-career training. Voters also want to see options for people at all stages of life and to rethink our approach to education to adapt to the jobs of tomorrow. A majority of voters disagree that a college education is a necessary step toward a good job.
Please indicate if you agree or disagree with each of the following statements.
Training and technical education options are overwhelmingly popular across states, though voters respond best to certain ways of describing these options in different states. "Community and technical colleges" are especially favored in Louisiana, Oklahoma, Washington, and Wisconsin, while "career and technical training" is most popular in Louisiana and Maine, and "career and technical education" is strong in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Washington.
Below is a list of people or groups. For each, please indicate how favorable you are of that person or group. If you haven't heard of it or if you don't know enough about it to have an impression, please indicate that.
While voters of all parties are favorable toward two-year colleges, there is a sharp partisan divide in favorability for four-year colleges and public colleges. Private colleges have lower favorable ratings overall.
Below is a list of people or groups. For each, please indicate how favorable you are of that person or group. If you haven't heard of it or if you don't know enough about it to have an impression, please indicate that. [Net favorable]
Less than half of voters feel that either a four-year or community college degree is “worth it a great deal” or “worth it a lot.” While they view the general value of four-year and community college similarly, voters are more likely to say community college is “worth it for the cost” compared to a four-year degree.
Generally speaking, how would you describe the value of a degree from a four-year college or university? Would you say it is worth it/worth it for the cost:*
Generally speaking, how would you describe the value of a degree from a community college? Would you say it is worth it/worth it for the cost:*
Voters in Michigan, Washington, and Wisconsin are especially pessimistic about four-year colleges or universities being worth it for the cost.
Generally speaking, how would you describe the value of a degree from a four-year college or university?
Voters trust Democrats more than Republicans when it comes to career pathways as well as lowering
the cost of four-year college.
Which party do you trust more on each of the following issues?
Democrats are trusted more, particularly among college-educated voters, men, Black voters, Asian American voters, Democrats, and parents, on education and training that would allow adult workers to gain new skills to advance or switch careers.
Which party do you trust more on each of the following issues?
Education and training that allows adult workers to gain new skills to advance or switch careers
- Voters across demographics and party lines are interested in options for education beyond four-year colleges and universities, including ways to prepare students in K–12 schools for careers and/or education beyond high school.
- Young voters, parents, and Black voters are particularly interested in K–12 schools providing programs like career connected learning, internships and credentials, partnerships with colleges and employers, and the opportunity to earn college credit.
- Young voters, parents, and Black voters are particularly interested in K-12 schools providing programs like career connected learning, internships and credentials, partnerships with colleges and employers, and the opportunity to earn college credit.
- Republicans also strongly value a combination of work-based learning, college credits, career counseling, and workforce credentials, to provide students college and career preparation and job skills in middle and high school, over other proposals like short-term credentials after high school and two-year colleges, and over a traditional four-year college model.
- When asked what would help students the most after high school, 35 percent of voters prefer a combination of work-based learning, college credit, career counseling, and workforce credentials over choices that isolate college preparation from career preparation. Twenty-four percent prefer connecting students to paid on-the-job programs, and 18 percent prefer job training and technical skills, which also stands out for non-college men and Latino men.
- Voters want to see a change in how students are prepared for both college and the workforce. They give the federal government a negative rating when it comes to both dimensions, especially independents and Republicans. They also give the federal government a negative rating on making college and skills training available and especially affordable.
- Democrats are split on their rating for making training available, but Democrats, independents, and Republicans all rate the government negatively on affordability.
Voters think it is important for K-12 schools to provide career and skills opportunities for students, particularly by providing career-connected learning and developing partnerships with colleges and employers, so that students have opportunities to thrive after high school.
How important do you think it is for K-12 public schools to focus on each of the following?
Voters believe a combination of work-based learning, college credits, career counseling, and workforce credentials would best help students after high school as opposed to focusing exclusively on experiences
that prepare students for just college or just careers.
Which of the following do you think would help students the most after high school?
Voters give the federal government solidly negative ratings on preparing students for college and the workforce. Educators, voters under 50, and parents are slightly more likely to give the federal government a positive rating for preparing students for the workforce than preparing students for college. Younger men, Black and Latinx voters, Democrats and Harris voters, and public-school parents are most likely to give a positive rating when it comes to preparing students for college.
Now you are going to read a list of issues. For each one, please indicate if you think the fed. gov’t is doing an excellent, good, just fair, or poor job on that issue.
Preparing students for college*
Preparing students for the workforce*
- A majority of voters, as well as pluralities of independents and Republicans, would be more likely to vote for a candidate for either president or the U.S. Congress if they made increasing education funding a top priority. This is also an animating issue for voters of color.
- Job skills and career training are motivating to voters across party lines. Majorities would be more likely to vote for a candidate who is committed to making college and training more affordable, making paid internships available, and providing career-connected learning.
- A candidate that would increase funding to make sure people can attend college and career and technical education gets less support from independents and Republicans, though they are still net more likely. Saying “increasing funding” likely triggers tax sensitivities.
- Up-skilling and reskilling programs for adult workers are important and motivating to voters, and voters trust Democrats more on this issue.
Voters across party lines would be more likely to vote for a candidate for either president or U.S. Congress who made increasing public education funding a top priority. Voters under 25 years of age, Asian American voters, and Indigenous voters would be more likely to vote for a presidential candidate that prioritizes education than congressional, while parents and educators would be more likely to vote for a congressional candidate than presidential.
Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate for [president/U.S. Congress]
who made increasing funding for public education a top priority of their campaign?
Voters in Alabama, Maine, Michigan, Oklahoma, and Washington are particularly interested in supporting a candidate who would make colleges and training more affordable. Louisiana voters are most likely to support a candidate who would increase funding so that people can attend higher education, and those in California, Michigan, and Washington are also interested in a candidate who would make programs like paid internships available for everyone.
Thinking more about education, would you be more or less likely to support a candidate for U.S. Senate or Congress who commits to the following positions, or would it make no difference?
Voters are slightly more supportive of a candidate who would make colleges and training more affordable than one who would increase funding to ensure people can attend colleges and training without debt, though both messages would make them more likely to support a candidate.
Thinking more about education, would you be more or less likely to support a candidate for US Senate or Congress who commits to the following positions, or would it make no difference?
Make four-year colleges and universities, workforce training, and career and technical training more affordable so that students can earn degrees and credentials without debt.*
Increase funding to ensure that people can attend public community colleges, four-year colleges and universities, and career and technical education without debt.*
Acknowledgments
All4Ed would like to thank Lake Research Partners and the Tarrance Group, particularly Celinda Lake, Brian Nienaber, and Jonathan Voss, for their time, expertise, thought partnership, and collaboration in designing and fielding the survey, as well as analyzing and sharing the results. We would also like to acknowledge Dan and Sunita Leeds and the Enfranchisement Foundation, as well as the Stuart Foundation, for their generous financial support that made this research possible. Finally, we appreciate the contributions of the many All4Ed team members who supported the design and dissemination of the education election exit poll.
Contact Us
If your organization would like to speak with a member of the All4Ed team about our poll or would like to receive a presentation, please contact us at 202-261-9841 or email Enrique Chaurand, our VP of Communications, at echaurand@all4ed.org.
