Donald Trump’s Approval Rating With College Students Gets a Boost—Poll

President Donald Trump received an uptick in approval among U.S. college students, according to a recent national survey of university undergraduates.

Data from a Newsweek/College Pulse study indicated a small rise in support for the president among the demographic.

The poll, which surveyed over 1,000 undergraduate students last month, found that 7 percent of students “strongly approve” of Trump, up from 5 percent in April.

Why It Matters

College students represent a significant and historically influential portion of the electorate. Understanding college students’ political engagement has become critical for both parties as they refine their campaign strategies leading into the 2026 electoral cycle.

What To Know

The poll found that 18 percent of respondents said they “somewhat approve” of the president, up from 14 percent in April.

Despite some increase in support, 75 percent of college students said they “somewhat disapprove” or “strongly disapprove” of the president.

Respondents were also asked what they view as the most important problem in the U.S. right now, with 27 percent identifying “economic issues” as the most important and another 27 percent finding “political division” to be most important.

The survey found that 72 percent of students say the U.S. is heading in “the wrong direction.”

Trump’s gains among college students come as Trump’s approval ratings among other crucial demographics, including Black voters and Gen Z, are declining. According to a June YouGov/Yahoo poll, Trump’s net approval among Black voters dropped to -70 points, and among Gen Z voters, his net approval fell from -23 points in May to -41 points in June.

The improvement with college students parallels Trump’s boost with Hispanic voters. The YouGov/Yahoo poll found that Trump’s net approval among Hispanic voters rose from -37 points to -30, with his total support reaching 32 percent in June, up from 26 percent in May.

Trump’s National Approval Rating

Despite the college student approval boost, Trump’s overall approval rating remained underwater nationally across multiple polls.

Newsweek‘s tracking poll placed his net approval at -6 points, with 45 percent approval and 51 percent disapproval, according to an early July report.

A survey by Targoz Market Research and Overton Insights conducted from June 23 to 26 put Trump’s net approval at –11 points, with 43 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving.

A poll by Quantus Insights conducted from June 30 to July 2 showed Trump’s net approval at –2 points, with 47 percent approving and 49 percent disapproving.

Poll Methodologies and Margin of Error

The Newsweek/College Pulse survey gathered responses from a national sample of 1,021 undergraduate students between June 16 and June 19. The sample was drawn from College Pulse’s American College Student Panel, which includes over 950,000 verified students representing more than 1,500 different colleges and universities in all 50 states.

The margin of error for this survey ranges from +/- 3-9 percentage points.

What People Are Saying

Quantus Insights Pollster Jason Corley, in a Substack post: “Voters are restless, anxious, and increasingly alienated. The question now is not who wins the next election but whether either party is still capable of speaking to the soul of the country.”

Scott Tranter, the director of data science for Decision Desk HQ, discussing Trump’s approval rating in comments to The Hill: “Over the course of last week, it’s gone up. But it is certainly lower than it was post-inauguration.”

What Happens Next

Polling data on college students and other key demographics could influence get-out-the-vote strategies and resource allocation in competitive districts as the midterm elections get closer.

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