63% of Wyoming Adults Say UW Acts in Line With State Values

A recent statewide survey indicates that a majority of Wyoming adults hold positive views of the University of Wyoming and its function in the state.

The data was collected between Sept. 29 and Oct. 25 from 660 randomly selected Wyoming adults. The survey margin of error is plus or minus 4.7 percentage points for questions asked of all respondents, after accounting for weighting. It is larger for subgroups. Results were weighted by gender, age, county, party affiliation, and education to reflect the state's adult population. Percentages exclude respondents who said they did not know or declined to answer.

The survey asked residents how often the university acts in ways that reflect Wyoming values. Fifty-one percent of respondents said the school acts this way most of the time, and 12 percent said it acts this way all of the time. Ten percent said the school acts in line with state values very little or never. Just over a quarter, 27 percent, said they did not know.

Respondents also evaluated the general effect of higher education on the United States. Fifty percent said the effect is positive, while 24 percent said it is negative. The remaining 26 percent said the effect is neither positive nor negative or that it is not having any influence.

When asked specifically about how well the university engages with local communities, 20 percent of respondents gave the school an excellent rating. Forty percent rated the engagement as good, and 30 percent rated it as fair.