Most college students lack basic US civics knowledge, survey says
How a bill becomes a law. The separation of powers. The rights protected by the First Amendment. These basic facts about the U.S. government are lost on a large chunk of American college students.
“A damning indictment.”
The American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) released a new report after surveying more than 3,000 college and university students – including students in Michigan – in the spring of 2026, about American history and government. The report, The Story of Our Nation: How Well Do College Students Know America?, shows many students are graduating from high school and entering college without basic knowledge of these concepts.
ACTA stated, “Our data shows that far too many students are earning college degrees without a rudimentary knowledge of the nation’s history and civic structure.”
ACTA President Michael Poliakoff called the survey a “damning indictment” of higher education.
“American students have told us loud and clear that they cannot and will not uphold and defend what they do not comprehend,” Poliakoff said. “Yet, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our great republic, American colleges and universities continue to graduate students shockingly unprepared for the demands of citizenship.”
Basic knowledge.
For example, the survey found that only 39% of students know senators serve six-year terms, while members of the U.S. House of Representatives serve two-year terms.
When asked which branch of government has the power to declare war, only 37% correctly identified the Legislative Branch.
Meanwhile, just 45% of students know the Constitution established the division of powers between the states and the federal government.
Only half of students know the 14th Amendment, which granted citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States, was passed in the aftermath of the Civil War.
Michigan students.
According to Michigan’s academic standards, there are no state-required social studies courses, although high school students must earn at least three social studies credits to graduate. The K-12 standards leave curriculum decisions to local school boards.