Report · Culture

Most Americans say universities produce useful social science research

Reading

In a Verasight survey of 3,000 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 22 to 29, 2025, 61% of Americans said universities produce useful social science research a great deal or a moderate amount, with 32% who said a moderate amount and 29% who said a great deal.

About one in five said universities produce useful research only a little (18%), 3% said none, and 3% said the research is harmful. Another 14% said they did not know.

Topline

response scale

Topline scale

61% of Americans say universities produce useful social science research a great deal or a moderate amount.

To what extent do universities produce useful social science research?

  • A moderate amount 32.3%
  • A great deal 28.9%
  • A little 18.2%
  • Don’t know 14.3%
  • None 3.5%
  • It’s harmful 2.9%

2025 · base n 3,000 · +/- 3.3%

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119

View source

Methodology

Full methodology
Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting
Field dates
2025-09-22 → 2025-09-29
Base (unweighted)
3,000
Margin of error
+/- 3.3%
Module
Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119

Source

  • 01
    Most Americans say universities produce useful social science researchreports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119

Citation

Verasight APSA Omnibus Survey #2025-119, fielded September 22-29, 2025, N=3,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.3%.

https://reports.verasight.io/reports/verasight-apsa-omnibus-survey-2025-119#to-what-extent-do-universities-produce-useful-social-science-research

Verasight survey methodology

How Verasight conducts surveys.

This page describes the Verasight general survey contract, separate from how the Data Library packages it. Each wave's specific field dates, sample sizes, and module breakdown are listed in that wave's report.

Mode
Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting.
Population
US adults age 18+.
Sample design
Surveys are run as omnibus or single-topic waves. Omnibus waves are split into modules with their own respondent set, typically around one thousand respondents per module.
Field window
Each wave specifies its own field dates. Most omnibus waves field across roughly two weeks.
Weighting
Per-module weighting to CPS targets including age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, and metropolitan status.
Partisanship benchmark
Pew Research Center's NPORS benchmarking surveys, three-year running average.
Vote benchmark
2024 presidential vote population benchmarks.
Margin of error
Typically about plus or minus 3.4 to 3.6 percent per module at standard module sizes. Question-level MoE is recomputed when a base shrinks materially below the module baseline.
Reporting
Every wave is published as a standalone report at verasight.io/reports with full instrument and methodology.
Transparency
AAPOR transparency standards.

Wave-specific methodology, full weighting variable lists, and verbatim instrument text live in each report at verasight.io/reports.