College students value their personal and political beliefs, but how likely are they to vote with their dollar?
A new survey of 2,000 undergraduates finds that an overwhelming majority (94%) say they make purchases that fit their values. However, 3 in 10 (31%) say it doesn’t really matter what a company says or does as long as it makes a quality product. Male students are twice as likely as female students to say it doesn’t matter what a company does (46% vs. 20%).
Almost half (45%) of students overall strongly agree that it’s important for companies to use their power to improve society, but there is a stark divide across party lines. Almost 6 in 10 (58%) Democrats say they strongly agree that companies should use their power to improve society, compared to just 15% of Republicans.
Democrats are More Likely to Say Companies Should Improve Society
How much do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It’s important for companies to use their power to improve society.
In the same vein, almost 9 in 10 (89%) students who identify as strongly Republican say companies should stick to making their products and avoid taking a position on certain issues. Only about 2 in 10 (18%) students who identify as strong Democrats agree.
Overall, students’ purchasing habits are heavily influenced by company beliefs. More than half (56%) of students say they made a purchase from a brand because they liked what the company said on a certain issue. And more than two-thirds (68%) say they have stopped purchasing from a brand because they disagreed with what the company said on an issue.
Students of color, however, are more likely than white students to say a company should make political statements. For example, a majority of Black (76%), Hispanic (63%), and Asian (59%) students say companies should make statements supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, while 52% of white students say the same. Black (47%), Hispanic (39%), and Asian (36%) students are also more likely than white (27%) students to say companies should make statements on defunding the police.
Students of Color are More Likely to Say Companies Should Support BLM
Percentage of students who say companies should make statements about the following.
Students who care about what a company says rather than just its products are more likely to want the company to make political statements. Students whose values strongly influence their purchases (56%) are significantly more likely to strongly agree that companies should use their power to improve society, compared to students who don’t make purchases that fit their values (22%).
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Methodology: This survey was designed and conducted by College Pulse. Interviews were conducted among a sample of 2,000 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.
