# Voting pattern of college grads:  W or Kerry?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-pattern-of-college-grads-w-or-kerry/273085>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 4, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-pattern-of-college-grads-w-or-kerry/273085 "2004-11-04T23:55:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-pattern-of-college-grads-w-or-kerry/273085/1 "2004-11-04T23:55:52Z")

</div>

Does anyone know the breakdown of votes by college graduates, what percent voted for each candidate?

Also, similar data for W vs. Gore, 2000?

Also, any other demographic data related to voting patterns.

While we’re at it, a cite would be appreciated.

Final request, please remember this is GQ, not the pit.

Thanks.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Roches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Roches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roches)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-pattern-of-college-grads-w-or-kerry/273085/2 "2004-11-05T01:07:50Z")

</div>

Try CNN’s exit polls [here](http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2004/pages/results/states/US/P/00/epolls.0.html) if you haven’t already. The vote by education figures are:

```auto

VOTE BY EDUCATION
                         BUSH KERRY NADER 
TOTAL 2004 2000 2004 2004 
 
No High School (4%) 49% +10 50% 0% 
H.S. Graduate (22%) 52% +3 47% 0% 
Some College (32%) 54% +3 46% 0% 
College Graduate (26%) 52% +1 46% 1% 
Postgrad Study (16%) 44% +0 55% 1% 
                         BUSH KERRY NADER 
TOTAL 2004 2000 2004 2004 
 
No College Degree (58%) 53% n/a 47% 0% 
College Graduate (42%) 49% n/a 49% 1%

```

The margin of error isn’t specified, but I think it’s ±3%. This would mean that most of the above figures are within the margin of error, and so there is no real correlation between whether or not someone is a college graduate and who they voted for. The only figure outside a ±3% margin of error is for those with postgraduate study, who tended to vote for Kerry.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Plan\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Plan\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Plan_B)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-pattern-of-college-grads-w-or-kerry/273085/3 "2004-11-05T01:30:26Z")

</div>

Thanks, just what I was looking for.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-pattern-of-college-grads-w-or-kerry/273085/4 "2004-11-05T03:42:48Z")

</div>

Don’t forget that education is not independent of several important variables in an analysis like this, such as race and socioeconomic status. Just going by education paints an oversimplified picture.