What is the Liberalizing Potential of Higher Education? An Analysis of Academic Fields and Anti‐Immigrant Sentiment Across 32 Countries

Journal article

The link between educational attainment and attitudes towards out‐groups stands out as one of the most consistent statistical associations in the social and political sciences. However, a recent analysis of survey data from the United States finds that the relationship between higher education and out‐group prejudice depends on the content of education. In this Research Note, we replicate that study's analysis of tertiary‐level academic majors within a European context and extend it to include academic specializations below the tertiary level. Our analyses of European Social Survey (ESS) data, spanning 32 countries and over 120,000 respondents, reveal substantial variation in the association between field of study and anti‐immigrant prejudice. Specifically, we find that individuals with degrees in arts, humanities, and social sciences express more positive views towards immigrants than those with degrees in other fields. A similar, though less pronounced, pattern emerges among individuals with lower levels of educational attainment. These findings challenge simplistic and politicized notions of the impact of higher education, offering a more nuanced understanding of educational attainment and its so‐called “liberalizing effect.”

Authors: Eger, MA; Hjerm, M; Velásquez, P

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Wiley
• Journal: The British Journal of Sociology
• Publication date: 2025-07-08
• Acceptance date: 2025-06-23
• DOI: 10.1111/1468-4446.70008
• EISSN: 1468-4446
• ISSN: 0007-1315
• Language: English
• Keywords: prejudice; immigration; europe; education; liberalizing effect; attitudes