Liberal college students more likely than conservatives to vote, data shows

University and college students who identify themselves as politically liberal voted at higher rates in the 2008 presidential election than conservatives, according to new data released by the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA.

Middle-of-the-road students voted the least, researchers said.

Researchers at the institute — part of the UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies — analyzed data from separate nationwide surveys, one of students who were freshmen in fall 2008 and the other of seniors. The surveys were administered by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, housed at the institute.

Among the additional patterns that emerged, seniors were more likely than first-year students to vote, and Asians were the demographic group least likely to vote.

Higher Education Research Institute scholars said they will monitor the 2010 election for any changes in patterns, "with a keen eye towards how colleges and universities act to support and encourage participation in the democratic process."