2020

Muhlenberg's Institute of Public Opinion Again Earns Top Grade from FiveThirtyEight

The College earns an A+ rating, one of only six polling institutions in the nation to do so.

By: Kristine Yahna Todaro  Thursday, June 4, 2020 07:36 PM

Muhlenberg students taking Professor Chris Borick's ‘Campaigns and Elections’ course in 2018 were filmed for a BBC World News segment.

For the second year in a row, Muhlenberg College's Institute of Public Opinion (MCIPO) has earned a top grade from the polling analysis website FiveThirtyEight. Directed by Political Science Professor Christopher Borick, the Institute is consistently named one of the top polling organizations in the country.

MCIPO conducts scientific-based research related to public opinion at the local, state and national levels. Since its founding in 2001, the MCIPO has focused its attention on measuring the public’s views on electoral and public policy issues with a concentration on environmental and health matters. 

Nate Silver's data website evaluated over 450 polling organizations nationwide in the May 2020 review; only six achieved an A+ rating.

In addition to the MCIPO's recent A+ rating, FiveThirtyEight gave the Institute an A+ in 2019, an A in 2018 and an A- in 2016. (There were no ratings in 2017.) MCIPO was also ranked first among all colleges and universities in the nation in 2014.

“It’s wonderful to see the outstanding efforts of the Institute’s staff recognized," says Borick. "For almost two decades the students that manage and perform the operations of the MCIPO have done extraordinary work, and their efforts have produced the highest quality public opinion research.”

FiveThirtyEight’s pollster ratings are calculated by analyzing the historical accuracy of each organization’s polls along with its methodology. Accuracy scores are adjusted for the type of election polled, the poll’s sample size, the performance of other polls surveying the same race, and other factors They also calculate measures of statistical bias in the polls.

MCIPO's surveys garner steady national and international media attention as well. Recent coverage of MCIPO and Borick includes a lengthy article in the New York Times about the economic rebirth of the Lehigh Valley as well as news stories in the Washington Post, USA Today, Bloomberg News, New York Magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

About Muhlenberg College
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg is a highly selective, private liberal arts college offering baccalaureate and graduate programs. With an enrollment of nearly 2,000 students, Muhlenberg College is dedicated to shaping creative, compassionate, collaborative leaders through rigorous academic programs in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences; selected preprofessional programs, including accounting, business, education and public health; and progressive workforce-focused post-baccalaureate certificates and master’s degrees. Located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, approximately 90 miles west of New York City, Muhlenberg is a member of the Centennial Conference, competing in 23 varsity sports. Muhlenberg is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.