More Than 1 in 3 Students Are Involved With Campus Protests This Fall
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46% of students say university measures to restrict encampments infringe on their freedom of movement/speech.- However, around 1 in 3 students (34%) also say protests and encampments have made them feel less safe on campus.
- 15% of students report having participated in protest encampments last academic term.
- Just over half of students (52%) support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
- Just 15% of college students who are likely to vote say foreign wars and conflicts are one of the most important issues to them right now.
- But nearly half of likely student voters (47%) say a candidate’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects their vote.
Amid the continued escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, college students are sharing how they plan to participate in anti-war demonstrations on their campuses this fall.
In BestColleges’ latest survey of 1,000 currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, 37% say they have participated in or plan to participate in protests, walk-outs, or anti-war encampments on their campuses.
37%
Of students have participated in or plan to participate in protests, walkouts, or encampments this fall
Many students additionally say they believe protest encampments are effective at creating change both on (45%) and off (40%) campus. However, 47% of students believe such activities disrupt the learning environment.
Overall, 19% of students say they have participated in or plan to participate in protests or walkouts in support of Gaza/Palestine this fall. Slightly fewer (16%) have participated or plan to participate in protests or walkouts in support of Israel.
About 5% of students say they participated in or plan to participate in protests supporting both sides of the ongoing conflict.
Fifteen percent of students surveyed say that this fall they plan to participate in protest encampments: temporary dwellings established in common areas on campus where students reside day and night, sometimes for weeks.
Fifteen percent also reported having participated in such encampments during the previous academic term.
Black students are more likely than students of other races to say they participated in protest encampments during the last academic term (20%) or plan to in fall (23%). Meanwhile, 14% of white students and 13% of Latino/a students report participating in protest encampments in spring 2024; 14% of white students and 13% of Latino/a students also report planning to participate in encampments in the fall.
Black students are also most likely to agree that protest encampments are effective at creating change on (54%) and off (54%) campus. By comparison, 48% of Latino/a students and 41% of white students say encampments create change on campus. Forty percent of Latino/a students and 36% of white students believe these organized events can create change off campus.
Protests and Encampments Impact Students’ Perception of Campus Safety
Overall, students are split on their opinions of the headline-making, student protest encampments that first appeared on college campuses in spring 2024.
Forty-six percent of students say university measures to restrict encampments infringe on their freedom of movement/speech. About 1 in 5 (21%) disagree. However, roughly 2 in 5 (41%) say university measures to restrict encampments make them feel more secure.
While the majority of students (72%) say that overall they feel safe on their campus, about 1 in 3 (34%) say protests and encampments make them feel less safe.
However, slightly more students (39%) say university and law enforcement responses to student protests and encampments have made them feel less safe on campus.
Black students (47%) — who are most likely to report participating in campus protesting efforts — are also more likely than white (37%) and Latino/a (40%) students to say university and law enforcement responses to student protests have made them feel less safe on campus.
Additionally, straight students are more likely than LGBTQ+ students to say that university measures to restrict protest encampments make them feel more secure on campus (45% vs. 30%).
Candidates’ Stances on Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Impact Students’ Votes
In addition to participating in anti-war demonstrations on their campuses this fall, students plan to use their voices off campus and at the polls this November.
Nearly half of students who are likely to vote in the upcoming election (47%) say a presidential candidate’s stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict affects their vote. Only 28% say it does not, while just 1 in 5 (19%) are unsure.
Most students who are likely voters say they would support a permanent ceasefire in Gaza (53%).
Despite students’ strong opinions on the conflict in the Middle East, only 15% say foreign wars and conflicts like Israel/Palestine and Russia/Ukraine count among the top-three most important political issues to them right now.
Methodology
This survey was conducted from September 16-23, 2024, and was fielded by Pure Spectrum. Survey participants included 1,000 respondents nationwide who were currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program. Of all students surveyed, 916 reported that they are registered voters or plan to register before the November 2024 presidential election and plan to vote or are undecided if they will vote. Respondents were 18-39 years of age, with the majority (77%) ages 18-24, and currently pursuing an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, or professional degree. The respondents for the survey were screened by various quality checks, including systems like Relevant ID, and responses were manually reviewed to ensure consistency and accuracy.