Back in the old days, when little Johnny was choosing where to go to college, he had many things to consider. For little Johnny, it might have been whether State U is a "party" school. If little Johnny's parents were footing the bill, it was more than likely, whether this was the best place for little Johnny to learn his future profession. But in the era of social justice, there are even more things to consider, like what sort of laws are there on things like abortion, gun rights, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), in the state where little Johnny and other prospective college students plan to attend school? 

A Gallup poll finds reproductive health laws affect enrollment for 72% of college students.

Coming up tonight at 11 on @wjz — we spoke with a parent whose daughter says abortion laws will heavily impact her choice in college. pic.twitter.com/MCqhmkSwKf

— Jessica Albert (@JessicaAlbertTV) May 16, 2023

A new survey by Gallup and the Lumina Foundation surveyed nearly 14,000 adults in a wide array of higher education categories. Of those, 6,015 were currently enrolled in higher education programs, 5,012 had been previously enrolled, and 2,943 had never enrolled in postsecondary education. The results were compelling. Of those surveyed, 71 percent said that a state's abortion laws were pivotal in their decision if they would attend school there, that number was reflective of the importance that both men and women placed on those particular state laws. Another 76 percent said individual state law on what they called "divisive" topics, things like the teaching of critical race theory (CRT), and DEI were important in their decision. when it came to states that have more restrictive gun laws, a whopping 84 percent said they would enroll in a school where those policies were enacted.

When the survey was broken down by party affiliation it should come as no surprise that Democrats were more preoccupied by "divisive concepts" like CRT or DEI, with 85 percent saying those topics would be a factor in their school choice, compared to 70 percent for Republicans. Of younger students aged 18-25 who identified as Democrats, 81 percent said abortion laws were a factor, and 77 percent of those who said they were Republicans in the same age group.

One of the most impactful events for current and prospective college students was the June 2023 Supreme Court decision on race-based admissions policies. The Court ruled that considering a student's race for admission was unconstitutional. And while it is a decision that affects all American colleges and universities, 63 percent of potential college students said it would affect somewhat their choice of schools. Broken down further, 71 percent of Democrats, 84 percent of Asians, and 70 percent of students aged 18-25 said the decision influenced their choice. 

Tuition costs and choice of major matter to students when picking a college. So do local abortion and gun laws, a new study shows. https://t.co/SNxgmTmBvF pic.twitter.com/TPogfHDtSz

— The Chronicle of Higher Education (@chronicle) March 14, 2024

When it comes to those "divisive topics" like CRT and DEI, woke prospective college students must take into consideration that several states have put laws in place to combat the teaching of CRT and some have done away with DEI entirely. In 2023 Texas banned DEI offices and functions at public universities; a bill that would have banned teaching CRT in the state's universities passed the state Senate but not the House. In Florida, in May of 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a ban on taxpayer funds going to the teaching of CRT and funding for DEI at the state's colleges and universities, and just recently the University of Florida-Gainsville eliminated all DEI employee positions. This could become an even bigger problem for future college students with a woke mindset. Since 2021, roughly 21 states have proposed legislation abolishing DEI on state campuses and the legislation has passed in nine of those states.

Today's college students seem to have a lot on their plate. They must actually be responsible and pay back student loans, even though Joe Biden continues to ignore the Supreme Court decision declaring his attempts at canceling billions of dollars in loans unconstitutional. Now their choice of schools might be dwindling, because who wants to go to school in a state where you can't get an abortion on demand or people freely roam the streets with guns? Poor snowflakes; more safe spaces are definitely in order.

American taxpayers, including people who didn’t go to college, should NOT be forced to subsidize billions of dollars in student loans. #SOTU2024

— Tom Emmer (@GOPMajorityWhip) March 8, 2024