Survey: 1 In 8 Florida Incoming Freshmen Plan To Flee DeSantis’s Education Policies

A survey released today finds that among Florida’s incoming college freshmen, dissatisfaction with Governor Ron DeSantis’s education policies runs deep—in some cases, deep enough to make them look for college opportunities in another state.

In March, Intelligent.com surveyed over 1,000 Florida students, including 783 still in high school and 364 current undergrads.

Among the survey’s findings:

91% of prospective college students disagree with the governor’s policies.

1 in 8 graduating high school students won’t attend college in Florida due to education policy in the state.

1 in 20 current college students in the state plan to transfer because of those policies.

Of those students concerned about DeSantis’s policies who intend to stay in the state cite the school’s location and programs as their reason to stay. The majority of those who plan to stay indicate they are concerned or very concerned that Florida’s policies will “negatively impact” their education.

The DeSantis weaponization of “anti-woke” against education in Florida has many far-reaching effects, both in K-12 and college education. The takeover of the New College of Florida with the intent to remodel it in the image of conservative Christian Hillsdale College has been much discussed. And just yesterday the Florida university system effectively ended tenure, requiring professors to submit to a review every five years.

While this survey certainly doesn’t provide the final word on the issue, the question it raises is a big one for Florida—will the continued pursuit of the culture war drive Florida’s young people out of state?

Intelligent.com is a Seattle-based, privately funded online magazine that focuses on providing guides and resources around education.