Monmouth University to shut down its renowned polling institute

Monmouth University will close its polling institute after 20 years of data collection pooled from national and state surveys to anticipate the outcome in highly contested political races.

“Following a year-long review of all of the University’s Centers and Institutes, I have made the decision, in close collaboration with our Board of Trustees, to close the Monmouth University Polling Institute, effective July 1, 2025,” Patrick F. Leahy, president of Monmouth University, said in a Wednesday statement to The Hill.

He lauded the institute's achievements under the leadership of founding director Patrick Murray, who helped launch the university’s polling practices in 2005.

FiveThirtyEight, which is also set to close, recognized the institute as one of the top-five ranking independent election poll analysis sites for accuracy and transparency.

“At its height, the Institute played a prominent role in helping to elevate the University’s image and to amplify its reputation to households across the country,” Leahy said.

“However, the changing political and media landscapes have made it both more difficult and more expensive for polling organizations to operate. In addition, our efforts over the years to integrate the work of the Polling Institute with both the student experience and the broader academic enterprise at Monmouth University have been met with mixed results,” he added.

Leahy said the polling institute’s resources will be redirected to other strategic initiatives at Monmouth.

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