Age and educational differences in how people rate their own ideologies % who place their own ideology ON an 11-point scale (8-10) Very conservative
There are age and educational differences in how people rate their own ideology. Among adults under 50, more place their ideology at the liberal (23%) than conservative (17%) end of the scale. Among those 50 and older the ideological balance is reversed: 34% use one of the most conservative points to describe their ideology, while 19% use one of the most liberal points.
Age and educational differences in how people rate  | their own ideologies  | % who place their own ideology ON an 11-point scale  | (0-2) Very liberal (3-4)  | (8-10) Very conservative  | (5)  | (6-7)  | Average  | Total  | 21  | 16  | 22  | 16  | 25  | 5.2  | Men  | 18  | 16  | 21  | 19  | 27  | 5.4  | Women  | 23  | 23  | 16  | 14  | 24  | 5.0  | Ages 18-29  | 18  | 4.6  | 24  | 27  | 17  | 14  | 30-49  | 22  | 17  | 26  | 17  | 19  | 4.9  | 50-64  | 33  | 18  | 16  | 20  | 15  | 5.6  | 13 14 15  | 65+  | 21  | 37  | 5. 8  | Postgrad  | 34  | 21  | 14 15  | 16  | 4.2  | College grad  | 18 17  | 27  | 20  | 18  | 4.6  | Some coll  | 20  | 16  | 23  | 16  | 25  | 5.3  | HS or less  | 14  | 12  | 25  | 16  | 32  | 5.9  | Notes: See topline for full question wording Scale asked in reverse order for half of  | respondents; shown here as ideological placement on an 11-point scale where Ois very  | liberal, 5 is the midpoint and 10 is very conservative. 30-Aug Don't know/No answer not shown.  | Source: Survey of US adults conducted July 30-Aug 12 2018  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 