Washington, Feb 14 (IANS): Across the US, half of college students have said that they support Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, who is currently leading the Democratic 2020 presidential race, according to a new poll.

The poll was released by Chegg/College Pulse on Thursday, reports Xinhua news agency.

"(Sanders) has increased his position. He's now at 50 per cent of college students," Bonny Brown, Chegg's head of research, told The Hill news website on Thursday.

"There is one thing that really unites them, that really worries them, and that is climate change," Brown said, adding that the second most important issue for college students was income inequality.

Among the group, Sanders polls strongly in every demographic because he speaks to the issues that most concern them, said Brown.

Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist, has detailed policy plans to combat the issues during his campaign, together with his signature "Medicare for All" health care plan.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, also a progressive, comes second in the poll at 18 per cent, followed by entrepreneur Andrew Yang at 10 per cent and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg at 8 per cent.

Yang dropped out of the race on Tuesday.

Sanders and Buttigieg were virtually tied in the February 3 Iowa causeses, with the veteran Senator claiming the popular vote and the former mayor taking an edge in delegates.

Before the Iowa caucuses, 19 per cent of college students in the state said that they supported Buttigieg.

And in New Hampshire, 23 per cent of college students supported the former mayor, polls from Chegg showed.

Chegg/College Pulse surveys more than 1,500 full and part-time students attending two- and four-year colleges or universities across the US on a weekly basis.