People without Degrees More Likely to Support Right-Wing Parties

Educational background has emerged as the strongest indicator shaping attitudes towards immigration, diversity and right-wing politics in the UK, according to new independent research comparing Britain and the United States.

The study found right-wing movements continue to struggle for support among graduates, as education increasingly defines political and cultural divides across British society.

Research from the National Centre for Social Research, NatCen, shows people with fewer qualifications are significantly more likely to support right-wing parties than those with higher education.

According to NatCen’s Demographic Divides report, people with qualifications below A-level were more than twice as likely to back right-wing parties as those educated to degree level or above.

The report states that someone with no educational qualifications had around double the odds of voting Conservative or Reform UK compared with a university graduate or higher.

Crucially, researchers stressed this pattern remained even after adjusting for financial precarity, showing education itself plays a decisive role in political alignment.

The report adds that knowing someone’s educational background gives a strong chance of accurately predicting whether they supported parties of the right in the UK.

Similar trends were observed in the United States, where voters with a high school education or lower were twice as likely to support Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in 2024.

However, the report notes that right-wing movements in both countries face consistent difficulty gaining support among those who have completed higher education and earned degrees.

Education also divides attitudes on race, diversity and immigration more sharply in the UK than in the US, according to the research findings.

In Britain, 65 per cent of degree-educated respondents said diversity strengthened society, compared with just 30 per cent of those educated to A-level or below.

In the US, 74 per cent of college graduates believed diversity strengthened society, compared with 54 per cent of people educated to a high school level or less.

When asked about racial advantage, 60 per cent of degree holders in both countries said white people benefited “a great deal” or “a fair amount” compared with Black people.

Only 30 per cent of people with below A-level qualifications in the UK shared this view, while the figure stood at 50 per cent among US high school graduates or lower.

Views on immigration enforcement also showed sharp educational divides within Britain.

The research found 55 per cent of UK respondents with below A-level qualifications opposed allowing undocumented immigrants to stay, compared with 36 per cent of degree holders.

In the US, 32 per cent of university graduates believed undocumented immigrants should not be allowed to stay, compared with 40 per cent of those educated to high school level or below.

Researchers noted that in America, education was not the sole predictor of party support.

Factors such as ethnicity, gender, financial precarity and location also played significant roles.

White voters, men, rural residents and people just meeting their expenses were more likely to support Trump, highlighting a more complex political landscape than in the UK.