A new survey reveals that while “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI), has become a politically charged and polarizing phrase, many of the actual programs associated with it continue to enjoy broad public support.
The poll, conducted in early May by The Associated Press–NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, suggests a disconnect between how Americans perceive the overall concept of DEI and how they feel about the specific services and opportunities these initiatives offer. About four in ten respondents said they “strongly” or “somewhat” back DEI efforts at colleges and universities. Roughly three in ten expressed opposition, while another three in ten remained neutral.
Initiatives like scholarships for marginalized students, mentorship programs, and college courses exploring racism drew significantly less resistance — even among respondents who said they oppose DEI more broadly.
READ ALSO: DEI dismantled: Students of color face new hurdles amid campus policy shifts
One possible reason for the divide? Americans don’t always agree on what DEI actually means.
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“I’m dead set against DEI,” says poll participant Robert Ayala, an 81-year-old independent who leans conservative. He describes DEI as “giving someone a free ride” or favoring race over merit. But Ayala also acknowledges the importance of targeted support for underserved students. Raised in poverty and of Mexican heritage, Ayala recalls facing discrimination as a child in rural South Dakota.
“If I was offered a scholarship or training or had somebody to guide me, I might have found my way faster,” he says. A Navy veteran of 22 years, Ayala later worked in contracting and is now retired in Palm Springs, California.
While President Donald Trump continues efforts to eliminate DEI policies in education, business, and government, calling them “illegal” and “immoral”, the poll paints a more nuanced picture. Trump has signed multiple executive orders targeting these programs and threatened to pull federal funding from schools that don’t comply. Many of these measures are facing legal pushback.
Despite the political rhetoric, many Americans, including conservatives, don’t oppose the most common elements of DEI programs. For example, while about 60% of Republicans say they’re against DEI overall, fewer than half oppose educational content on racism. Roughly a third object to scholarships for underrepresented groups, and only three in ten oppose extracurricular clubs or mentoring services that support those students.
By contrast, Democrats are more unified in their views. Around 70% support DEI initiatives, as well as the scholarships, services, and courses that fall under its umbrella.
READ ALSO: States push back against Trump administration’s threat to cut education funding over DEI
Stanley Roberts, 61, a Republican near Knoxville, Tennessee, illustrates this internal conflict. While “somewhat” against DEI, he says he’s still undecided about educational content that focuses on race. “What happened 200 years ago or 1,000 years ago shouldn’t have happened,” he says, “but if everybody would quit talking about it, it would be a whole lot less of a problem.”
As institutions respond to the shifting legal and political environment, students of color say they’re already seeing the effects. Some colleges, fearing loss of federal support, are scaling back DEI offices, cutting scholarships, and limiting mentorship programs — services many say were crucial in making them feel welcome on campuses that are majority white.
Support for anti-racism education is especially high among Black Americans, who are more likely than white or Hispanic adults to endorse teaching about racism as part of the college curriculum.
“I know this sounds cliché to say, but the reason I favor teaching about racism is so history doesn’t repeat itself,” says Nicole Martin, 34, a Black social worker from Idaho Falls, Idaho. “I hear a lot of, ‘Oh, just get over it.’ But I think, ‘OK you don’t want to talk about slavery. But we’re still talking about the Holocaust and that’s OK.’”
The poll also suggests that gender plays a role in shaping attitudes. Women were more likely than men to express support for DEI programs and the resources they offer to students from historically excluded groups.
“Without DEI, I am not sure there are many chances for understanding other people’s experiences,” says Regina Cuddeback, a 27-year-old Democrat from Cortland, New York. She believes that support for DEI depends on the context and disagrees with considering race in college admissions. However, she strongly supports educational programming that fosters inclusion.
“Students have a right to take the classes they want to take,” says Cuddeback, who is white. “For a college to remove a class and say you don’t get to learn a certain subject anymore would be pretty abysmal.”
