According to exit polling in ten key states of the 2024 presidential election in the United States, almost two-thirds of voters who had never attended college reported voting for Donald Trump. In comparison, a similar share of voters with advanced degrees reported voting for Kamala Harris.

According to a September 2024 survey of adults in the United States, 91 percent of those with a college degree said that they were definitely voting in the 2024 presidential election. In comparison, only 77 percent of those without college degrees were definitely planning to vote in November.

On July 21, Biden announced he was ending his bid for reelection, later endorsing Kamala Harris, who is the official Democratic nominee as of the Democratic National Convention in August. Although approval of Harris was once generally low, favorability of the vice president has spiked since announcing her presidential bid. Although the race is certainly closer since Harris began her campaign, polling has fluctuated, with support for Trump increasing just days before the election. National polling indicated that the two presidential hopefuls were 0.1 percentage points apart on November 4, 2024, making it nearly impossible to predict the results. While presidential polls are generally reliable in measuring national trends, they are not infallible, particularly in close races or predictions of Electoral College outcomes.

According to exit polls for the 2024 Iowa Republican caucuses, former President Donald Trump led the way among voters without college degrees. However, the vote was split more evenly among those with four-year degrees with only 37 percent voting for Trump, 26 percent for DeSantis, and 28 percent for Haley. DeSantis, Ramaswamy, and Hutchinson dropped out of the presidential race shortly after the Iowa caucuses

According to results on November 6, 2024, former President Donald Trump had received 277 Electoral College votes in the race to become the next President of the United States, securing him the presidency. With all states counted, Trump received a total of 312 electoral votes.

Candidates need 270 votes to become the next President of the United States.

A survey from the fall of 2024 of over 25,000 college students from 48 schools across the United States found that around 17 percent of respondents reported suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, around five percent stated they had autism spectrum disorder. Health conditions among college students Some of the most common health conditions that college students had been diagnosed with in the last year, as of fall 2023, included a cold/virus or other respiratory illness, the flu, and an orthopedic injury such as a broken bone or sprain. However, the most common health conditions that college students reported they had ever been diagnosed with included anxiety, environmental allergies, acne, and depression. In the fall of 2023, around 32 percent of college students reported that at some point in their life they had been diagnosed with anxiety, while 24 percent had been diagnosed with depression. Many universities in the United States now promote and offer mental health services, but many college students still do not receive the treatment they require. Mental health treatment According to mental health clinicians, the top concerns for their college student patients are anxiety, depression, and relationship problems. These issues are not uncommon among college students as many are living on their own for the first time in their lives, perhaps far away from home, and are likely dealing with new levels of academic, financial, and social stress. However, although universities are increasingly aware of these issues and a greater number now provide on-campus resources, many students are still not receiving treatment. For example, a survey of over 103,000 college students in 2022-2023 found that around 19 percent felt they didn’t know where to go for on-campus professional mental health services. Furthermore, around 21 percent of respondents stated that due to financial reasons they received fewer services (counseling, therapy, or medications) in the past year for their mental or emotional health than they would have otherwise received.

A survey from 2024 found that around 38 percent of college students in the United States rated their general health as very good. This statistic presents the percentage of college students in the U.S. who rated their general health as excellent or very good as of fall 2024.

Surveys from swing states conducted the day before the 2024 election indicated an extremely close contest between Trump and Harris. Trump held a slight lead over of Harris in the majority of swing states.

According to a survey conducted in 2024, 24 percent of Generation Z students reported that they would be the first in their family to attend college in the United States.

A survey of college students in the United States from the fall of 2024 found that around 38 percent of students had been diagnosed with a cold/virus or other respiratory illness in the past 12 months, making this the most common diagnosis among students. Other common diagnoses included the flu and orthopedic injuries. Common health conditions among U.S. college students Concerning the most common health conditions U.S. college students had ever been diagnosed with, anxiety, environmental allergies, and acne were the most often reported. As of the fall of 2024, around 35 percent of college students in the U.S. stated they had been diagnosed with anxiety at some point in their lifetime. Anxiety was also the second most often reported condition that college students saw a healthcare professional for in the past year. Other health conditions college students saw a healthcare provider about were thyroid conditions, depression, and bipolar and related conditions. Mental health among college students As seen above, mental health problems are common among college students in the United States, with anxiety and depression particularly widespread. A survey of college students from 2022-2023 found that around 36 percent reported having been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder in their lifetime, while 30 percent had been diagnosed with depression or another mood disorder. The same survey found that in the past year around 14 percent of college students had suicidal ideation, while six percent made suicide plans, and two percent attempted suicide. Many universities in the United States now offer on-campus mental health resources, however, around 19 percent of students state they do not know where to go on campus for professional help for mental or emotional health problems.

According to a December survey, Donald Trump's favorability among Republicans remained strong following the 2024 election, with 72 percent viewing him very favorably and 18 percent somewhat favorably. This overwhelming support from his party base contrasts sharply with Democrats, of whom 84 percent viewed Trump very unfavorably. Independents were more divided, with 47 percent expressing some degree of favorability towards the former president. Electoral college victory Trump's popularity among Republicans translated into electoral success in the 2024 presidential election. He secured 312 electoral votes, surpassing the 270 needed to win the presidency. This victory came as Trump won all seven swing states, some by significant margins, despite pre-election polls showing only a slight lead in most battleground states. Increased republican support The 2024 election saw Republicans gain ground across the country. Every state reported an increase in Republican votes compared to 2020, with New York showing the largest gain of 6.43 percent. New Jersey and Florida also saw significant increases of nearly five percent. This surge in Republican support led to Trump flipping six states that he had lost in the previous election, contributing to his decisive victory.

According to a survey conducted in 2024, only about a third of students in the United States believed the benefits of going to college outweigh the costs. Some 40 percent of survey respondents took a neutral stance.

According to a survey from 2024, around 25 percent of college students in the United States who had used tobacco or nicotine products in their lifetime used them daily or almost daily during the last 3 months. This statistic presents the percentage of college students in the U.S. that had used tobacco or nicotine products during the past 3 months as of fall 2024, by frequency.

During a global survey of students conducted in mid-2024, it was found that a whopping 86 percent said they were using artificial intelligence tools in their schoolwork. Almost a fourth of them used it on a daily basis.

A survey from the fall of 2023, found that the most used tobacco products among college students in the United States were e-cigarettes or other vape products. At that time, around 75 percent of college students who used tobacco products in the past three months reported they used e-cigarettes or other vape products. The same survey found that among college students who reported ever using a tobacco product, around 24 percent stated they used tobacco daily or almost daily in the past three months, while 26 percent had used just once or twice. What is the most popular kind of tobacco product in the United States? Although e-cigarettes are the most used tobacco product among college students, the most commonly used form of tobacco among U.S. adults is still regular combustible cigarettes. In 2021, around 10 percent of women and 13 percent of men were current cigarette smokers, compared to four percent of women and five percent of men who smoked e-cigarettes. However, e-cigarette use is much more common among younger adults, not just college students. In 2021, around 11 percent of those aged 18 to 24 years used e-cigarettes, while five percent smoked combustible cigarettes. Smoking trends in the United States Smoking in the United States has dramatically decreased over the past few decades. In 1965, it was estimated that around 42 percent of adults in the U.S. smoked, but this number was only about 14 percent in 2019. Nevertheless, that is still almost 31 million people who smoke and are at risk of premature death due to cancer, cardiovascular disease, or stroke, just a few of the risk factors of smoking. The state with the highest percentage of adults who smoke is West Virginia, while Utah has the lowest prevalence of smoking. In 2022, around 20 percent of adults in West Virginia smoked, compared to six percent in Utah.

According to a survey from 2024, about 24 percent of college students in the United States felt tired or sleepy for seven of the last seven days. This statistic shows the percentage of college students in the U.S. who felt tired or sleepy during the day within the past seven days, as of fall 2024.

According to a survey conducted in 2024, Republicans were most likely to think that the way that college administrators have responded to pro-Palestinian protests on college campuses has been not harsh enough, with 59 percent of Republican respondents sharing this belief. In comparison, only 29 percent of Independents and 14 percent of Democrats thought that college administrators have not been harsh enough on pro-Palestinian campus protests, which are typically organized by college students with the aim of getting their school to cut ties with companies affiliated with Israel.

According to a survey from 2024, around eight percent of college students in the United States had extremely difficulty falling asleep for seven of the last seven days. This statistic shows the percentage of college students in the U.S. who had an extremely hard time falling asleep within the past seven days as of fall 2024.

A survey of college students in the United States in 2022-2023 found that around 41 percent had symptoms of depression. Symptoms of depression vary in severity and can include a loss of interest/pleasure in things once found enjoyable, feelings of sadness and hopelessness, fatigue, changes in sleep, and thoughts of death or suicide.

Mental health among college students Due to the life changes and stress that often come with attending college, mental health problems are not unusual among college students. The most common mental health problems college students have been diagnosed with are anxiety disorders and depression. Fortunately, these are two of the most treatable forms of mental illness, with psychotherapy and/or medications the most frequent means of treatment. However, barriers to access mental health services persist, with around 21 percent of college students stating that in the past year financial reasons caused them to receive fewer services for their mental or emotional health than they would have otherwise received.

Depression in the United States Depression is not only a problem among college students but affects people of all ages. In 2021, around nine percent of those aged 26 to 49 years in the United States reported a major depressive episode in the past year. Depression in the United States is more prevalent among females than males, but suicide is almost four times more common among males than females. Death rates due to suicide in the U.S. have increased for both genders in the past few years, highlighting the issue of depression and other mental health disorders and the need for easy access to mental health services.

Since 1824, when the popular vote was first used to determine the overall winner in U.S. presidential elections, the share of the population who participate in these elections has gradually increased. Despite this increase, participation has never reached half of the total population; partly due to the share of the population below the voting age of eighteen, but also as many potential voters above the age of eighteen do not take part, or are ineligible to vote. For example, in the 2016 election, approximately twenty million U.S. adults were ineligible to vote, while over 94 million simply did not participate; in this election, Donald Trump won the electoral college with 63 million votes, which means that 19.4 percent of the total U.S. population (or 27.3 percent of eligible voters) voted for the current president.

Development throughout history

While the figures for the 2016 election may appear low, over 42 percent of the total population participated in this election, which was the third highest participation rate ever recorded (after the 2008 and 2020 elections). In the first election decided by a popular vote in 1824, only 350 thousand votes were cast from a total population of 10.6 million, although this increased to over four million votes by the 1856 election, as restrictions that applied to non-property holding white males were gradually lifted. Participation levels then dropped during the Civil War and Reconstruction era, as those who lived in Confederate states could not vote in 1864, and many white southerners were restricted or discouraged in the following election. Although universal suffrage was granted to black males in the wake of the Civil War, the majority of black Americans lived in the southern states, where lawmakers introduced Jim Crow laws in the late 1800s to suppress and disenfranchise the black vote, as well as poor white voters.

The next major milestone was the introduction of women's suffrage in 1920, which saw voter participation increase by seven million votes (or seven percent) between the 1916 and 1920 elections. Between the 1910s and 1970s, the Great Migration saw many black Americans move away from the south to northern and western states, where they faced fewer obstacles when voting and greater economic mobility. This period of black migration began to decline in the 1960s and 1970s, during which time many Jim Crow laws were repealed in the south, through legislation such as the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Female participation also grew gradually, and has exceeded male voting participation in all elections since the 1980s. The minimum voting age was lowered from 21 to 18 in all states in 1971, although this seemingly had a minimal impact on the short-term trajectory of voter participation.

Recent elections

The 1992 election was the first in which more than one hundred million votes were cast, which was almost 41 percent of the total population. All elections since 2004 have also had more than one hundred million votes cast, which has again been more than forty percent of the total population. Another key factor in the increase in voter participation is the fact that people are living longer than ever before, and that those aged 65 and over have had the highest turnout levels since 1992. While some figures may be subject to change, the 2020 election set new records for voter turnout. Despite the global coronavirus pandemic, which many thought could cause the lowest turnout in decades, a record number of voters cast their ballots early or by mail, setting a new record of votes just shy of 160 million. In the 2020 election, Joe Biden and Donald Trump received 81.3 million and 74.2 million votes respectively, both beating Barack Obama's previous record of 69.3 million ballots in 2008.