As colleges and universities grapple with how to safely reopen campuses this month, most students are not ready to return to normal.
A new survey of 1,500 undergraduates finds that just one-third (34%) say they would feel comfortable living in a dorm this fall, while two-thirds (66%) would not feel comfortable. However, male students are more likely than female students to say they would feel comfortable living in a dorm room (41% vs. 30%).
Male Students are More Comfortable Living in Dorms During COVID-19
How comfortable would you feel living in a dorm this fall?
A majority (52%) of students say they do not trust their university to protect students and faculty from the coronavirus if campus reopens in the fall, compared to 48% who do. Meanwhile, roughly 6 in 10 (63%) students are willing to get tested for coronavirus frequently in order to return to campus. Almost 7 in 10 (69%) Democratic students say they are willing to get tested frequently, compared to almost half (47%) of Republican students.
More than 6 in 10 (61%) students think professors should get to decide whether or not they hold their fall classes in person, while 25% do not and 14% are not sure. But Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say professors should be able to make the choice themselves (63% vs. 51%).
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 1,500 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.
