WCU poll: Shapiro leads among Pennsylvania State System students; economy, health care top voting priorities
Survey of students across all 10 State System universities finds strong Democratic preference ahead of November election
Pennsylvania students surveyed across the state’s public university system overwhelmingly
favor Josh Shapiro for governor and Democratic congressional candidates, with the
economy and health care emerging as their leading election priorities, according to
a new poll conducted by West Chester University faculty.
The 2026 Ram Poll found that 72% of respondents would vote for Democrat Shapiro, compared with 10% for Republican Stacy Garrity. Another 16% were unsure. In congressional races, 71% favored their district’s Democratic candidate, while 14% favored the Republican candidate and 13% were unsure.
Conducted Oct. 6-20, the survey received 550 completed responses from undergraduate students across all 10 universities in Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education. The survey focused on students age 18 and older who are permanent Pennsylvania residents.
WCU researchers Laura Pyott, assistant professor of mathematics, and Shannon McQueen, associate professor of political science, are available for interviews about the findings, students’ political priorities and what the survey can tell us about this segment of Pennsylvania’s electorate.
Economy and health care lead students’ priorities
When asked to identify their three most important election issues, 45% of respondents included the economy and 45% included health care. Education followed at 42%, climate change at 31% and abortion at 28%.
The economy was the most frequently selected No. 1 issue, chosen by 21% of respondents. Health care followed at 15%.
Education received the broadest recognition when students rated issues individually: 84% called it “very important” to their election decisions, followed by health care at 81% and the economy at 78%.
Students express support for democratic norms, concerns about election
Nearly nine in 10 respondents, 89%, said they would probably vote, were certain to vote or had already voted. Fifty-nine percent placed themselves in the “certain to vote or already voted” category.
The poll also found reservations about election integrity: 46% strongly or somewhat agreed that the 2026 election would be free and fair, while 38% strongly or somewhat disagreed.
“What stands out is a commitment PASSHE students have to democratic norms,” McQueen said. “More than eight in 10 PASSHE students reject closing media outlets critical of an administration or concentrating power in one person, and 92% reject violating citizens’ rights. But fewer than half, 46%, are confident this November’s election will be free and fair, suggesting a gap in trust among many of Pennsylvania’s student voters.”
Views of Shapiro and Trump differ sharply
Fifty-six percent of respondents rated Shapiro’s performance as governor as excellent or good. By comparison, 84% rated President Donald Trump’s performance as poor.
That compares with 59% of students surveyed who rated Trump’s performance as poor in 2018 and 56% in 2020, according to Pyott.
About the poll
The Ram Poll used a web-based survey distributed to randomly selected undergraduate students through their university email addresses. More than 17,000 students were invited to participate, with a response rate of 3.2%. Results were weighted by sex, race and region of permanent residence.
The poll has a reported margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points at a 95% confidence level, accounting for the effect of weighting. The low response rate means that nonresponse bias may also affect the results.
The findings describe the participating State System student population and should not be interpreted as a forecast of Pennsylvania’s statewide election results.
To arrange an interview or review the whole report, contact Sarah Goldfarb, Associate Vice President for University Communications & Marketing, West Chester University at (302) 607-4878 or sgoldfarb043@wcupa.edu.