One in Three Students Say They Have Experienced Bias on Campus
13 Mayo 2024 - 8:15AM
A new survey from education company EAB shows one in three students
said they have felt targeted, criticized, or excluded based on
their identity. The students who reported the highest levels of
targeting or exclusion include non-binary students (51 percent),
Black students (34 percent), and women (33 percent).
EAB’s “2024 First-Year Experience Survey” also asked students
whether they have witnessed prejudice against other students. More
than one-third (36 percent) reported seeing others targeted,
criticized, or excluded. Targeting based on race or ethnicity was
the most common type of bias students saw on campus, cited by more
than 13 percent of students. Ten percent of students witnessed bias
based on religion or political identity. Students were 19 percent
more likely to witness bias based on religious affiliation than in
2022.
“EAB’s student survey showed troubling rates of bias and
exclusion, even before the recent turmoil on college campuses,”
said Michael Koppenheffer, EAB’s Vice President of Enroll360
Marketing and Analytics. “We’ve seen growing evidence that today’s
students are choosing colleges based on whether they feel like
they’ll be supported and safe, and university leaders should keep
that in mind as they try to manage student activism this
spring.”
Despite the survey’s findings on bias and harassment, 84 percent
of students surveyed say they are satisfied with their college
experience. Still, the survey shows significant variation in
satisfaction across race and ethnicity. Eighty-six percent of white
students said they were satisfied versus 79 percent of Black
students.
The drivers of college satisfaction also differ among
demographic groups. Thirty-five percent of white students cited
“belonging” as a source of college satisfaction, compared to 30
percent or less for students of color. Black students were more
likely than white students (25 percent versus 19 percent) to cite
student support services such as career services and financial aid
counseling as significant drivers of satisfaction.
“Colleges need to understand the factors that influence student
satisfaction and how those factors vary by race, ethnicity, and
income,” Koppenheffer continued. “Increased investment in student
support services could go a long way toward addressing some of the
disparities in the college experience.”
About the SurveyEAB’s survey was conducted
between February 8 and March 4, 2024, and included responses from
12,654 students who graduated from high school in 2023. The survey
asked graduates about their preferred communication sources,
application behaviors, satisfaction with their college experience,
and what factors led some to decide not to enroll. For more details
on the survey results, please download the report here.
About EABAt EAB, our mission is to make
education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more
than 2,600 institutions to drive transformative change through
data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From
kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and
practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across
enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data
analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently,
tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and
enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership
team, as well as the students and employees they serve. Learn more
at eab.com.
John Michaels
EAB
(202) 747-1788
jmichaels@eab.com