A majority of Americans favor affirmative action in higher education
Core finding
Most Americans (58%) support affirmative action programs meant to improve access to higher education for Black people, women and other minorities, a June 2026 Verasight survey finds.
About a quarter (26%) oppose such programs, and 16% say they don't know.
Topline distribution
A majority of Americans favor affirmative action in higher education.
Do you favor or oppose affirmative action programs designed to help Black people, women, and other minorities get better access to higher education?
n = 1,000 · Jun 21, 2026 · MoE ±3.2%
Methodology
Full methodology →| Mode | Verasight panel recruited via random address-based sampling, random person-to-person text messaging, and dynamic online targeting |
|---|---|
| Population | US adults age 18+ |
| Field dates | Jun 21, 2026 |
| Base (unweighted) | 1,000 |
| Margin of error | ±3.2% |
| Module | 3 |
| Sponsor | Verasight |
| Weight variable | weight |
| Weighting targets | age, race/ethnicity, sex, income, education, region, metropolitan status |
Sources
- reports.verasight.io/r/mpsa26
Do you favor or oppose affirmative action programs designed to help Black people, women, and other minorities get better access to higher education?
Cite this question
Verasight MPSA Omnibus Survey #2026-050, fielded June 21-21, 2026, N=1,000 US adults age 18+, +/- 3.2%.