Americans have sometimes had mixed feelings about colleges. But in this week’s Economist/YouGov Poll, many like college professors. And they view a college education as important to success.
41% of Americans give college professors a favorable rating. 25% do not. That is a better rating than the one the public gives to journalists, CEOs and labor unions.
And while most Americans say they are neutral towards Mormons, more give Mitt Romney’s co–religionists an unfavorable rating than a favorable one.
Professors score better with college graduates than they do with those with only a high school education. Democratic voters are much more positive about professors than GOP voters are (they also are more favorable about labor unions and journalists than Republicans are).
But both Democratic and GOP voters see the value of a college education. 70% overall say it is important to financial success.
Nearly 60% believe that parental financial success has an important impact on individual financial success. Far fewer think faith in God is important in determining
financial success.
Over three-quarters of the overall public believe that four years in college makes one "more educated." Most Democratic and GOP voters agree. However, many
Republican voters see a potential downside to a college education: 62% of them believe four years in college makes a person more liberal in their political beliefs (a
third say a college education makes people "much more liberal." Overall, slightly over half the public (and 70% of Democratic voters) think four years of college has
no directional impact on one’s political ideology.
