Education amplifies political ingroup favoritism

Higher education is associated with lower racial prejudice but with stronger political ingroup bias: more‑educated liberals show stronger pro‑liberal favoritism and more‑educated conservatives stronger pro‑conservative favoritism, with the effect concentrated among ideological extremists and persistent across decades. The authors propose that education clarifies beliefs and ties them more tightly to moral values, which can make opposing political groups seem more threatening rather than more understandable. — If education makes people clearer and more moralized in their political commitments, that alters debates about the civic role of universities, polarization remedies, and interventions aimed at fostering tolerance.