Research and Insights into the Modern Student

by: Terren Klein, CEO of College Pulse

As Bernie Sanders emerges as a clear frontrunner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, he has young voters to thank for his success in Iowa, New Hampshire, and Nevada. College students’ strong support for the Vermont senator will continue to pay off for Sanders when more than a dozen states hold presidential primaries on Super Tuesday.

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While Joe Biden has been branded as the moderate presidential candidate best poised to beat President Donald Trump, and even as Michael Bloomberg considers entering the race, another Democratic hopeful has more potential to galvanize young voters in 2020.

College affordability has gotten more attention in the 2020 presidential race than in years past, as the rising cost of college has left Americans with a collective $1.6 trillion in outstanding student debt. The Chegg/College Pulse Student Election Tracker finds that Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren lead among college students in the Democratic primary, and a new survey highlights the impact of their student debt proposals. 

A huge increase in student debt over the past two decades is affecting and disrupting American lives both financially and psychologically.

College students could be the difference-maker in the 2020 presidential election, but many candidates are still struggling to connect with them. The Chegg/College Pulse Student Election Tracker finds that only two candidates — Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders — have garnered substantial support among this critical demographic. There is no secret formula to win student support, but a new survey provides some important clues.

Today’s students face tough new realities as education, employment, and politics transform around them.

In this report, our second annual study of the “State of the Student” in America – which highlights insights from a poll of over 1,000 students across a representative spectrum of demographics and colleges – we examine the most important issues facing students both on and off-campus, including the cost of education, and explore how students are rallying to address them.

Multiple Democratic presidential candidates have unveiled student loan forgiveness plans, for good reason. A new survey of 3,000 undergraduates conducted by Chegg and College Pulse found that college students are poised to have a big impact in the 2020 election. A majority of college students (59%) say the 2020 election will be more important for the country than any other election in their lifetime.

Two nights. Twenty candidates. The first Democratic debates are over. A new survey of 1,500 college students conducted within one hour after the second Democratic debate by Chegg/College Pulse finds that Sen. Elizabeth Warren is challenging Sen. Bernie Sanders for the Democratic student vote, while other candidates are struggling to attract support.

At Chegg, we understand the value of education. In fact, we emphasize its importance. However, what is equally important as education is its ability to be affordable and easily accessible. Unfortunately, education’s affordability and accessibility doesn’t ring true for many American college students, leading us to the staggering student debt crisis of over $1.5 trillion. And, this crisis is undoubtedly affecting our middle class more and more every day.

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