Latest Virginia Business Higher Education Council Poll Finds Respondents Proud of Virginia’s Colleges & Universities; Believe They Are “Well Run” & “Sound Place to Invest Public Dollars”

Poll Reveals Virginians Across Political Spectrum Strongly Back Investments in Paid Internships and “Affordable Talent Pathways” Leading to Future Jobs in Commonwealth

RICHMOND, VA (May 9, 2025) – Recent polling finds that on a bipartisan basis Virginians see the Commonwealth’s colleges, universities, and community colleges as a top economic asset and strongly support higher education investments that will power future job creation and provide students with internships and affordable pathways to full-time employment in Virginia after graduation. More than 90% of poll respondents, including large majorities in both parties, believe that it is important for lawmakers to invest in higher education to maintain the state’s competitive advantage in economic development, and that broadening the talent pool through varied degrees and credentials that fit individual aspirations and abilities is “the most important investment our state can make.” Those are just two of many takeaways from the latest, comprehensive statewide public opinion survey conducted by the Virginia Business Higher Education Council (VBHEC), a nonprofit, nonpartisan partnership linking Virginia’s top employers with the state’s colleges and universities.

The polling, conducted in December by a bipartisan pair of national public opinion firms (Public Opinion Strategies and Frederick Polls) produced numerous results demonstrating that Virginians hold their two- and four-year higher education institutions in unusually high regard compared to voters in other states, and they see a strong connection between the work occurring every day on Virginia campuses and the future prospects for the state’s economy to grow and for young people to succeed in the job market. Among them:

• 94% of Virginians (more than 90% in each political party) believe it is important to invest in our higher education institutions to maintain the state’s competitive advantage, as evidenced by CNBC’s #1 state for business ranking.
• 93% believe “the most important investment our state can make is to ensure that every Virginia resident is able to achieve the highest level of education that suits their aspirations and abilities, whether that is a skilled trade certificate, an associate’s or bachelor’s degree, or a graduate or professional degree.”
• Virginians are more supportive of higher education than many voters across the country. 82% of Virginia respondents express confidence in the state’s colleges and universities, and 77% have a favorable opinion of them. Both indicators of support in Virginia surpass levels in recent national surveys posing the same questions.
• 90% of Virginians are “proud” of the state’s colleges, universities, and community colleges; the same percentage would recommend their child apply to a Virginia institution as a top choice.
• 88% say Virginia’s universities and colleges are doing a good job at making sure students are graduating with the skills they need to succeed in the changing economy. More than three-fourths of respondents in each party say a college education is still a good value.
• 92% of Virginians agree the state must increase both college graduates and skilled trade workers to address workforce shortages. More than 90% in each party say it is important to increase funding for community colleges to expand non-degree credentials, internships, apprenticeships, and high-demand programs.
• 94% want the state to invest in increasing the number of paid internships, co-op programs, and other work-based learning opportunities available to students attending Virginia’s colleges and universities. (Voters support multiple initiatives to help make internship opportunities available to all students, including funding for on-campus internship centers, matching grants or tax credits for employers who hire interns, an online platform to help match students and employers, and financial assistance to help students cover lodging, transportation, and other internship-related costs.)
• 82% (more than 80% in each political party) would be more likely to support a candidate who says Virginia should invest in creating more “talent pathways” where colleges, community colleges, and high schools work together with businesses “to streamline coursework, provide work experience while learning, and reduce the time and cost of getting a degree followed by a full-time job.”
• 90% believe it is important for the state of Virginia to invest more in higher education so tuition increases are kept to a minimum for students and their families. (Respondents support increased student financial aid, TAG grants, tuition waivers for military survivors and dependents, investments in HBCU programs, community college dual enrollment, and multiple other strategies to enhance college affordability.)

The full survey, including crosstabs, can be found here.

Speaking about the poll findings, Dennis Treacy, chair of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, remarked, “The link between higher education, the growth of our state economy, and the lifelong success of our young people is crystal clear to Virginians of all backgrounds and political persuasions. They get it. They know that when we invest in our colleges, universities, and community colleges—making degrees and credentials affordable for all and providing work-based learning opportunities that prepare students for the jobs and careers of tomorrow—the Commonwealth is stronger for it.”

“It is unusual in these polarized and contentious times to find something that so unites Virginians across the political spectrum,” commented Kirk Cox, president of the Virginia Business Higher Education Council. “I have reviewed a lot of poll findings over the course of my career, and these results—the work product of two highly respected national polling firms with deep experience in Virginia politics, one on the Democratic side and the other on the Republican side—show something that is very important for all current and aspiring Virginia political leaders to understand. Whatever disagreements voters may have on other issues, one thing that very large majorities in both parties strongly agree about is the need to prioritize investments in our top-ranked higher education so we maintain our competitive advantage as the ‘talent state’ and so young Virginians and career-changing adults have the credentials they need to succeed.”

“Our students, faculty, and staff go about the hard work of education every day, and sometimes amid all the political controversy these days it is easy to lose sight of why we do all this, and why the taxpayers and tuition-paying families across Virginia make the investment,” observed University of Mary Washington president Troy Paino, a VBHEC board member and vice chair of the Council of Presidents for Virginia’s public higher education institutions. “Not only is our higher education system transformative for Virginia and for the thousands of young Virginians who are being equipped to succeed in the fast-changing economy and to help sustain our 250-year-old democracy. The polling data tells us that Virginians deeply value and support this work—that they are proud of our colleges, universities, and community colleges, and they want their leaders to invest in making these life-changing opportunities affordable and accessible for everyone.”

“As current and former business executives, most of us on the Virginia Business Higher Education Council board would readily agree that having a well-prepared, well-motivated, innovative workforce is the single most important factor in business success. That is why having the top-ranked higher education system in the country gives Virginia such an advantage,” commented Nancy Howell Agee, VBHEC’s vice president. “What this poll confirms is that you do not need to be a business executive to understand that proposition. In fact, this data shows that support for higher education investment is a matter of strong grassroots consensus in every part of the Commonwealth, in virtually every demographic category.”

About the Virginia Business Higher Education Council: 

VBHEC was founded in 1994 by Virginia business leaders on the principle that the prosperity of Virginia and the well-being of its citizens is fundamentally tied to access to a strong system of public colleges and universities.

A nonprofit, nonpartisan partnership between Virginia’s business community and higher ed leadership, VBHEC’s mission is to enhance the performance of Virginia’s public colleges, universities, and community colleges and their funding by state government so they can produce the greatest possible positive impact on Virginia’s economy.

VBHEC is committed to educating the public about higher education’s crucial role in Virginia’s economy, and it strives to secure the support needed for the Commonwealth’s colleges, universities, and community colleges to be affordable and accessible for all Virginians and rank among the nation’s best.

About the Poll:

VBHEC engaged two national polling organizations with extensive experience in Virginia to survey voters in the Commonwealth. Public Opinion Strategies, a Republican firm, and FrederickPolls, a Democratic firm, partnered to conduct the survey with a representative sample of 800 registered Virginia voters aged 18 and older from December 5-12, 2024. The margin of error for the survey is ±3.95%.