College students today grew up in a post-Columbine America, where mass shootings have become increasingly common. America has experienced 171 mass shootings so far in 2019, according to Vox. Today, college students are less likely than the American public to view the right to own guns as essential to their freedom — but there’s a substantial gender gap.
A new survey of 2,300 current undergraduates found that just 30% say the right to own guns is essential to their personal sense of freedom, compared to 41% who say it’s important but not essential and 28% who say it’s not important. By comparison, a 2017 Pew Research Center survey found that 47% of Americans believe the right to own guns is essential to their freedom.
Male and female students view gun rights very differently, however. Male students are more than twice as likely as female students to say the right to own firearms is essential to their freedom (45% vs. 18%).
A similar divide exists between white students and students of color. While one-third (34%) of white students report that owning a gun is essential to their freedom, 23% of Hispanic students, 21% of black students, and 20% of Asian students say the same.
There is broad support among students for a variety of gun control measures. Almost 7 in 10 (68%) students favor banning assault-style weapons, while an identical number express support for banning high-capacity ammunition magazines that hold more than 10 rounds.
Female Students are More Likely to Favor Gun Control Proposals
Please indicate whether you would support the following proposals about gun policy.
But female students (83%) are far more likely than male students (49%) to support banning assault-style weapons. Similarly, 83% of female students vs. 51% of male students favor banning high-capacity magazines.
There is also an evident gender gap over whether guns make communities safer. Nearly half of male students (47%) say it generally makes people more safe when people in a community own and carry guns, while only 20% of female students agree. Overall, 4 in 10 (41%) college students say people in a community owning and carrying guns generally makes people less safe, compared to 32% who say it makes people more safe and 26% who say it makes no difference.
Male students are also about twice as likely as female students to say college professors and administrators should be allowed to carry guns on campus (50% vs. 26%).
And finally, female students are far more likely than their male peers to say they would likely transfer schools if students were allowed to carry guns on campus. Nearly half of female students (46%) say they would be at least somewhat likely to consider transferring, while only 23% of male students say the same.
Female Students are More Likely to Transfer Schools if Students Can Carry Guns
If your school allowed students to start carrying guns on campus, how likely would you be to transfer to another school?
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 2,300 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.
