The University of Alaska contracted with McDowell Group of Juneau to conduct a statewide public opinion survey in March 2018 to better understand Alaskans’ perceptions of their quality of life, the economy, outlook for the future of Alaska, and their level of concern for a number of statewide issues such as crime, energy costs, climate change, quality of education, and employment. The telephone survey was privately funded, and 623 randomly selected households throughout the state participated in the survey.

Key findings:

• Alaskans rated the condition of the state’s economy an average of 5.1 on a 1-to-10 scale. Around half of the respondents said they expected the state’s economy, their own household economic condition, and their quality of life to improve over the next five years.
• Respondents were asked to rate their level of confidence in seven state and federal institutions including the university. Of the institutions listed, respondents said their highest confidence was in the University of Alaska, followed closely by local K-12 schools. Respondents reported the lowest confidence in the Alaska Legislature, state government, and the federal government.
• Respondents were asked to rate their personal level of concern regarding a variety of issues. Of the 12 potential concerns for their household, residents reported the most concern with crime and public safety. Of least concern to respondents were their ability to find a job, quality of Alaska colleges, and the quality of local schools.
• Nine out of ten residents say that UA is important or very important to the state of Alaska, including 64 percent who said it is very important, a slight decline from a similar survey conducted two years ago. Just 4 percent say UA is not important.

A copy of the full April 2018 McDowell report can be downloaded HERE.

Recent interviews conducted by the McDowell Group in a separate survey revealed concerns among high school counselors, students, and parents about budget cuts affecting the direction and stability of UA. The research clearly identified financial issues as one of the most important drivers of postsecondary enrollment and completion. The economy affects the earning power of students, particularly among the significant portion of students who work while attending UA. Despite these stressors, residents’ confidence was highest in UA when compared to other public institutions.