Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion earns top marks
The Institute earned an A- rating, outscoring other Pennsylvania pollsters, including Franklin & Marshall College (B+).
Friday, June 3, 2016 01:40 PM
Pictured: Chris Borick, professor of political science and director of the Institute of Public Opinion, speaks with the students who help run the polling center.
Polling analysis and blogging website FiveThirthyEight analyzed 22 of the Institute’s polls, which included a 91% success rate in predicting political races. The ratings also cited Muhlenberg’s simple average error of 3.5. The complete rankings can be found on FiveThirtyEight.
The Institute was previously recognized by Nate Silver in 2014, ranking first among all colleges and universities in the nation and 10th overall.
The Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion is a state of the art public opinion research center that conducts scientific based survey research projects of public policy and political issues throughout the Lehigh Valley and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As part of the college’s mission of providing students with preparation for socially useful and self-fulfilling careers, the Institute also undertakes projects in conjunction with community partners that examine contemporary issues relevant to the interests of the public and policy-makers.
Recent polls conducted by the Institute include a 2016 Pennsylvania Republican Presidential Primary Survey and a 2016 Pennsylvania Health Poll.
The Institute has entered into long-standing partnerships with governmental, media and research organizations, including a series of environmental surveys with the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy that have been cited by international publishers such as The Guardian. Local partners include The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown and the marketing and consumer sciences company HCD research.
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private, four-year residential, liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pa., approximately 90 miles west of New York City. With an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 2200 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences as well as selected pre-professional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health. A member of the Centennial Conference, Muhlenberg competes in 22 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
