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University of California at Irvine students hold signs in protest of high education costs during the Million Student March in Irvine, Calif., on Nov. 12, 2015. - Eugene Garcia—EPA/Newscom
University of California at Irvine students hold signs in protest of high education costs during the Million Student March in Irvine, Calif., on Nov. 12, 2015.Eugene Garcia—EPA/Newscom
How do Americans feel about the idea of free tuition at public colleges?
Depends on their age. And their race. And, unsurprisingly, their income level and political party.
Overall, 62% of people said they supported free tuition at colleges for anyone who wants to attend, according to survey results released today by Bankrate.com. But as is the case with many policy suggestions, that average hides many interesting divisions.
When looking at generational gaps, for example, 79% of Millennials supported the idea, compared to 49% of Baby Boomers. Generation X respondents fell right in the middle with 64%.
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About half of whites support the idea, compared to 84% of blacks and 90% of Hispanics, and people reporting salaries of $30,000 and less are far more likely to back the proposal than any other income group. Those differences could reflect racial gaps in wealth and educational attainment in America. Hispanics and blacks are more than twice as likely as whites to be in poverty, and while about a third of white adults have at least a bachelor's degree, only 23% of black Americans and 16% of Hispanics do, according to U.S. Census statistics.
The most striking difference in support, though, came down to party lines: 81% of Democrats support the idea, but only 33% of Republicans do. That partisan divide may not be surprising, given that the idea of free tuition at public colleges was recently championed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders' presidential campaign and eventually embraced (if somewhat begrudgingly) by Hillary Clinton and the broader Democratic platform.
Saint John’s University is a Catholic school for men that partners with a nearby women’s school, College of Saint Benedict, to share academic programs and campuses resources. Nearly 80% of students at Saint John’s graduate within six years, 12% higher than similar schools. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of St. John's UniversityRecently admitted CalTech students scored about 1600 on average on their SATs—higher than at MIT or Stanford. Professors are notoriously hard graders. The school boasts 34 Nobel laureates among alumni and faculty. Recent grads tend to get high-paying jobs. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of California Institute of TechnologyPomona is among the handful of schools vowing to meet student’s full demonstrated need with aid, so more than 70% of grads have no student debt. With 1,600 undergraduates, Pomona features close student-faculty relationships. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Ponoma CollegeIllinois’s flagship university is among the top 15 public schools on the National Science Foundation’s list of high research spenders, and its strongest programs include accounting, engineering, and physics. Students also have access to the country’s second largest university library system. (Only Harvard’s is larger.) FULL PROFILE Courtesy University of IllinoisClemson was founded as an agricultural college, and while agricultural science is still a specialty, more general programs such as business are more popular today. Most every one at this rural campus is united by an enormous amount of school pride, especially around the football team. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Clemson UniversityUCLA produces a lot of stars: professors like Internet pioneer Leonard Kleinrock, grads in show business like Ben Stiller, and others in pro sports like Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The school also supports ordinary students as well, with more than one third from low-income families. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of UCLALike most large public schools, the University of Maryland has some all-star professors. The faculty roster boasts three Nobel laureates, two Pulitzer Prize winners and, thanks to the campus’s proximity to Washington, D.C., leaders in major positions at federal agencies like NASA and the National Institutes of Health. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of University of MarylandWhile Virginia Tech is known especially for engineering, its business, social sciences, and agriculture programs are also strong. The campus Math Emporium houses hundreds of computers programmed with lessons that have boosted students’ math prowess. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Virginia PolytechnicUC–Davis has made a reputation as an affordable school that produces results. About 43% of students are low-income, but its six-year graduation rate is a high 83%. The school is best known for its agriculture and animal science specialties. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of University of CaliforniaUC-Irvine shines in serving one of the most diverse student bodies in the country: More than 40% of students come from low-income families. Yet the school still boasts an 86% graduation rate—an impressive 41% higher than similar colleges. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of University of CaliforniaThe University of Florida is one of the biggest bargains in higher education, with tuition of just $6,300 a year for Floridians. For that low price, students get access to some of the world’s top professors, well-respected programs in fields as diverse as astronomy and journalism, and sports teams that often dominate their leagues. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of University of FloridaUC-San Diego is one of the top research universities in the country, with renowned science programs, especially in marine biology and oceanography. Like other colleges in the University of California system, the San Diego campus stands out for its comparative affordability for state residents. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of University of CalifoTexas A&M has one of the largest undergraduate student bodies in the country, with more the 40,000 students who graduate into an especially proud, loyal group of alumni. The college is well known for its business, agriculture, and engineering programs, as well as a recreation, park, and tourism management program. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Texas A&MLike its fellow high-ranking Ivy League peers, Princeton and Harvard, Yale is highly selective. But for students who are admitted, the college promises a very generous financial aid package and courses taught by some of the world’s most extraordinary academics. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Yale UniversityMIT is one of the best known and most respected science colleges in the world. It’s competitive selection process and grueling course load produces results, though—recent graduates boast one of the highest average salaries in Money’s rankings, according to PayScale data. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of MITStanford isn’t one of the eight members of the elite Ivy League, but it would fit right in. It’s the hardest school in the country to get into and has generous financial aid policies like Princeton and Harvard. But here’s a key difference: Recent graduates report average annual salaries that are $8,000 higher than those of Ivy League grads. FULL PROFILE Getty ImagesUVA boasts the highest graduation rate of any public university in the country, at 93%. The university’s academic strengths are wide-ranging, and the campus is the only U.S. college to be designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, thanks its connection to founder Thomas Jefferson. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of University of VirginCooper Union is unique—a small, urban school that offers degrees only in art, architecture, and engineering. Though Cooper Union no longer has the free tuition policy it was founded with, it’s still much more affordable than other elite private colleges. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Cooper UnionAn elite liberal arts college, Amherst is one of a small group of schools that will meet 100% of the demonstrated financial need of students. As a result, more than two-thirds of its students graduate without taking out loans. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Amherst CollegeUC-Berkeley, or Cal for short, ranks the highest of eight University of California system schools that made Money’s rankings. In fact, Cal is one of the most selective public colleges in the country. More than 90% of freshmen graduate within six years, a rate well above even other elite public universities. FULL PROFILE Getty ImagesBYU-Provo is the main campus of a private college system specializing in educating members of the Church of Latter Day Saints. Non-Mormons can attend, but are charged more tuition and must obey the school’s strict code of conduct. The university has a high graduation rate at an affordable price for a private education. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Brigham Young UniversityThe typical Rice student majors in engineering, economics, or biology, and the university is also well known in the field of political science. Graduates of the selective private school fare well in the workforce: Recent grads out-earn their peers from similar schools by 16%, according to salary data from Payscale.com. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Rice UniversityHarvard may be the most recognizable college in the world, and it’s practically synonymous with the prestigious Ivy League. Like many of its peers, Harvard excels in Money’s rankings not only because of the outstanding education it provides but also thanks to its generous financial aid program. FULL PROFILE Getty ImagesThe University of Michigan accepts less than a third of the nearly 50,000 students who apply, and is nearly as popular with out-of-staters as with Michiganders. State residents who get in enjoy an especially good deal: Michigan is one of 11 colleges in Money’s top 50 where the average in-state cost of a degree is less than $100,000. FULL PROFILE Dave Lauridsen for MoneyPrinceton University's generous financial aid makes it, according to Money’s analysis, the most affordable member of the Ivy League. The school gives out such large grants to the six in 10 families who qualify (families earning less than $250,000 generally get some aid) that more than 83% of students graduate without any debt. FULL PROFILE Courtesy of Princeton University
Of those respondents who didn't support the idea of free tuition for all, about 26% said they'd support it for families with incomes of $50,000 or less. Another 8% would support it for families earning up to $125,000, as Clinton’s plan proposes.
As many economists have pointed out—free tuition isn’t free. (Clinton and Sanders both proposed paying for their plans with a tax on Wall Street profits.) Yet when the survey asked whether respondents would be willing to pay more in federal taxes to make public colleges free, only 48% said yes, meaning there’s a 14 percentage point gap between people who say they support the idea and people who are willing higher taxes for it.
One place where there isn’t a noticeable drop: Millennials aged 18 to 25. Seventy-nine percent supported free tuition, and 72% said they’d be willing to pay more taxes to get it. It’s worth remembering, of course, that many in that age bracket probably haven’t felt the full sting of federal, state, and local property taxes yet.
Other parts of the survey asked about the value of college and debt repayment. A majority of respondents still felt a college education was a valuable investment, which is consistent with findings in a recent survey Money conducted with Barnes & Noble College.
Overall, three-quarters of survey respondents said college was a good value, including a high 88% of 18-25 year olds. Those who attended college were even more supportive of its value: 89% said it was a good investment.
The Obama administration has focused on driving more borrowers into income-driven repayment plans, in which leftover debt would be forgiven after a couple decades of payments. But it turns out that many don't agree with the idea of broad debt forgiveness. Four in 10 respondents said borrowers should pay off their student debt until it's gone. That number jumps to 59% among Republicans and falls to 27% among Democrats.
