2009 Public Opinion Polling
The New Jersey Association of State Colleges
and Universities (ASCU) sponsored a poll conducted
between September 30 and October 5 by Washington,
DC-based Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates. The
poll consisted of online interviewed about New Jersey's
nine state colleges and universities, conducted with 671
likely gubernatorial election voters in New Jersey.
The margin of error for the entire sample is +/- 3.78 at
the 95% confidence level.
On the importance of, and quality
of, education at New Jersey state colleges and
universities.
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86% said the colleges are
important to keeping good jobs in New Jersey (44%
very important; 42% somewhat important);
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79% said the colleges are
important to keeping NJ families in New Jersey (37%
very important; 42% important);
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91% said they have a favorable
view of the NJ state colleges and universities (32%
very favorable; 59% somewhat favorable);
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Very favorable ratings were 37%
among those with children under 25.
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82% said the nine New Jersey
state colleges and universities (The College of New
Jersey, Kean University, Montclair State University,
New Jersey City University, Ramapo College of New
Jersey, Richard Stockton College of New Jersey,
Rowan University, Thomas Edison State College and
William Paterson University) do a good or excellent
job at providing education to students (18%
excellent; 64% good).
Control over colleges,
accountability and trust. More than four
out of five (81%) agree that less government bureaucracy
and less state regulation would help the colleges and
universities be more efficient and serve more students.
Nearly four out of five (79%) agree
that if the state is going to invest more money to
support higher education and serve more New Jersey
students, nonpartisan boards of trustees and the
presidents should make the decision, as opposed to
"letting the governor decide how to spend the money"
(11%), or "letting state agencies in Trenton decide how
to spend the money" (10%).
Similarly, seven out of ten (71%) say
that, when it comes to future progress on college
affordability, quality and accountability, they trust
state college/university presidents and their
nonpartisan trustee boards, as opposed to the governor
(12%) or legislature (7%).
A majority of likely voters think
that if Trenton had more control over state colleges and
universities the result would be less, not greater,
college opportunity (56% said less; 44% said greater).
On the question of whether more Trenton control would
make state colleges subject to less or more political
interference, a large majority (87%) agreed that it
would make them more subject to such interference.
Student enrollment and
capacity, ties to the economy. Many
likely voters mistakenly think that state colleges serve
large numbers of out-of-state residents. Only 16%
said they thought the colleges enroll fewer than 10%
out-of-state students -- which is the case. 39%
said the percentage of out-of-state students was 11-20%;
33% said it was 21-30%; 12% said it is 31% or more; 2%
think it is 41% or more.
Likely voters support the need to
expand college capacity: 92% agree that NJ
students should have the opportunity to live on campus
at the state college or university of their choice; 82%
agree that expanding capacity will help keep NJ's
brightest students here; 86% agree that expanding
college access will help create new jobs and businesses
and expand NJ's economy.
College affordability and
tuition trend lines, causes. Likely
voters are split about whether the cost of education at
the nine state colleges is affordable. Very
affordable was listed by 9%; somewhat affordable 43%;
not very affordable 38%; and not at all affordable 10%.
Likely voters do not hold
colleges responsible for tuition increases. 45%
think it is the bad economy and state budget cuts; 19%
attribute it to rising costs of new programs and
technology; another 19% believe the cause is state
mandated costs and regulation. Only 18% believe
that it is the inability of colleges to cut back on
spending.
Financial aid.
41% indicate that financial aid for students at state
colleges and universities is available to most students;
59% say that it is not.
70% say financial aid "benefits
others, but not me and my family;" while 31% say
financial aid "benefits people like me and my family."
Need for state investment.
When asked whether the current NJ funding for a college
student (about half what is spent per student in K-12)
is appropriate, only about one-third surveyed (34%)
agreed. Two-thirds (66%) think that spending on
college students should be greater than it is now.
Similarly, when asked whether the
state should have a plan to invest in higher education
facilities (it currently has none), in light of the
state's current investment of $3.9 billion in K-12
construction, 77% of likely voters agreed that the state
should plan to spend somewhere between $1.3 and $3.9
billion on higher education facilities over the next
decade.
Too see results of poll,
click here.
2007 Public Opinion Polling
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