A national abortion debate erupted after Alabama lawmakers passed a bill banning abortion in almost all cases and other states moved to ban abortion at six or eight weeks of pregnancy. Because unintended pregnancy and abortion rates are highest among people aged 18–24, according to research published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, the laws could disproportionately impact college students.
A new survey found that students at four-year colleges are more supportive of abortion rights than the general public. The majority of college students (78%) believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, while 22% say abortion should be illegal in all or most cases. A recent Pew Research Center poll shows that more than half (58%) of Americans say abortion should be legal in all or most cases, compared to 37% who say it should be illegal.
College Students are More Supportive of Legal Abortion Than All Americans
Do you think abortion should be legal in all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or illegal in all cases?
Among current college students, there’s a stark gender divide. Female students (81%) are more likely than male students (72%) to say abortion should be legal in all or most cases.
As the 2020 election heats up, multiple Democratic candidates have criticized the recent abortion bans and promised to protect access at the federal level. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York) in particular was the first 2020 hopeful to say she would use abortion as a litmus test when nominating judges, and the majority of college students feel the same way about presidential candidates. Nearly 7 in 10 students (68%) say they are unlikely or very unlikely to support a presidential candidate who doesn’t share their views on abortion.
Female students are far more likely than male students to say abortion is a litmus test issue for them. Roughly 8 in 10 female students (77%) say they are unlikely to support a presidential candidate who doesn’t share their views on abortion, compared to 57% of male students.
Abortion is More Likely to be a Litmus Test Issue for Female Students
Would you ever support a presidential candidate who does not share your views on abortion?
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 10,490 full-time and part-time students attending four-year colleges or universities in the U.S. who are part of College Pulse’s American College Student Panel.
