Seniors Retain Attitudes Held as Freshmen : Current College Students Conservative

A political scientist says college students are conservative in most aspects of their lives, and higher education has little impact on their attitudes--except for drinking.

Jon Miller of Northern Illinois University told the recent meeting of the American Educational Research Assn. that “the full impact of this new wave of conservative college students has not been felt fully by the political system.”

He said going to college appears to change few attitudes because, with the exception of drinking, seniors “voice the same goals, characteristics and attitudes as freshmen.”

Only 16% of male freshmen surveyed and 22% of female freshmen indicated that they drank beer, wine or liquor, Miller reported. However, 81% of male seniors and 76% of female seniors indicated that they were regular alcohol drinkers.

Life Goals, Politics

Miller said the conservatism is “evidenced in students’ life goals, occupational aspirations, personality and politics.”

His conclusions were based on a 1985 survey of American college students conducted jointly by the Simmons Market Research Bureau of New York City and his school’s Public Opinion Laboratory. Written questionnaires were completed by 2,373 undergraduates at 60 schools in four regions.

Miller said there may be two main reasons that college students are more conservative.

“The going away experience may be lost on many,” he said. “Almost half of today’s college students attend school within 50 miles of their parents’ home, apparently close enough to maintain strong personal, religious and political ties.”

The study also found that nine out of 10 college students now hold summer jobs and nearly half work at least part-time during the school year.

“This early exposure to the realities of the work place may be one of the factors fueling more conservative attitudes among college students,” Miller speculated.

Family ‘Very Important’

About 70% indicated that raising a family was “essential” or “very important.” Almost the same number “placed a high priority on becoming well off financially.”

About a third of the seniors want careers in business, with about 29% of senior men opting for science and technology but only 8% of the senior women had such an interest.

Politically, only one in four placed a high value on influencing political decisions, Miller said.

“Rather than becoming strong conservative activists, it would appear that this generation of college students is primarily apolitical,” he said.

Political party preferences found a greater identification with Republicans than with Democrats, although nearly a third classified themselves as independents.

A majority expressed a belief in God, with 37% of seniors agreeing that “the Bible is literally true and we should believe everything it says,” Miller said.