What is the liberalizing potential of higher education? Academic fields and anti-immigrant sentiment across 32 countries

• In Event: 40814 - Education

Abstract

The link between educational attainment and attitudes towards out-groups stands out as one of
the most consistent statistical associations in the social and political sciences. However, a recent
analysis of survey data from the United States data finds that the relationship between
educational level and out-group prejudice is contingent on educational content. In this research
note, we replicate the original study’s analysis of tertiary-level academic majors within a
European framework and then broaden the scope of inquiry by examining variation in academic
specializations below the tertiary level. Using European Social Survey (ESS) data, spanning 32
countries and approximately 125,000 respondents, we corroborate the U.S. results. Our analyses reveal
substantial differences in the association between different higher education disciplines and
prejudice. Specifically, we find that individuals with degrees in humanities and social sciences
articulate lower levels of anti-immigrant sentiment compared to those in other fields. Further,
among those without tertiary education, we observe similar patterns for academic specializations
during secondary school, although these between-specialization differences in prejudice are not
as large. These results challenge popular and politicized notions of the impact of higher
education, providing a more nuanced picture of educational attainment and its so-called
“liberalizing effect.”

Authors

• Maureen A. Eger, Umeå University (Sweden)

• Mikael Hjerm, Umeå University

• Paolo Velásquez, The University of Oxford's Centre on Migration, Policy and Society