North Carolina State University:
2004 First-Year Student Survey
Highlights
- NC State conducted its annual survey of entering first-year
students during New Student Orientation sessions held in July and early
August 2004. The survey response rate was 85.1 percent (N=3,367 of 3,957).
There were no significant gender or racial/ethnic differences between the
first-year students actually enrolled at NC State and those responding to
the survey.
- A majority of respondents’ fathers/male guardians (61.4%) and
mothers/female guardians (57.4%) had a baccalaureate or higher (e.g. M.S.,
Ph.D.) degree. African American and non-African American minority
respondents were more likely than whites to report that neither parent had
attended college (13.9% and 11.7% vs. 5.5%, respectively).
- More than one-half of respondents (55.2%) applied to "three or
more colleges" including NC State. Two-thirds or more respondents in
the Colleges of Design (72.2%), Education (79.7%), Humanities and Social
Sciences (71.0%), and Management (65.4%) applied to "three or more
colleges" including NC State. One-third (33.7%) of respondents in the
College of Engineering, and less than 10 percent of respondents in the
Colleges of Design (6.9%) and Education (2.9%) reported that they applied
only to NC State.
- As in past years, out of a list of 20 different factors, academic
reputation (26.0%) was most likely to be rated the "single most
influential factor" in the decision to attend NC State, followed by level
of support for intended major (16.4%) and availability of program
(12.8%). African Americans were more than three times as likely as white
respondents to report that scholarships/financial aid available
(12.4% vs. 3.8%) was the "single most influential factor" in
their decision to attend NC State.
- Over 40 percent of respondents feel they were "well
prepared" for college by their high school (45.8%) and by their own
efforts (45.0%). African Americans were less likely than whites and
non-African American minorities to say they were "well prepared"
by their high school (36.7% vs. 46.7% and 48.4%, respectively) and through
their own efforts (36.4% vs. 46.5% and 41.2%, respectively).
·
More than 90 percent of
all respondents reported that they would bring a desktop computer (26.1%), a
laptop (60.1%), or both a desktop and a laptop (6.2%) to campus.
·
Nearly two-thirds of
respondents (63.9%) reported that they do not intend to work during their
first semester at NC State. Non-African American minority respondents
(44.0%) were more likely than African Americans (33.6%) and whites (35.5%) to
report that they plan to work during their first semester at NC State. The
majority of respondents who plan on working said they would work less than 20
hours per week (80.3%).
·
The vast majority of
respondents reported that they ultimately plan on obtaining a Master's degree
or higher (70.4%). On a similar note,
the majority of respondents reported that their primary goal or objective
for attending NC State is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as
preparation for graduate or professional school" (55.3%). Those in the
Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences (79.2%) and Physical and Mathematical
Sciences (72.5%) were most likely to be pursuing a bachelor's degree as
preparation for graduate/professional school. College of Natural Resources
respondents were the only ones significantly more likely to be getting a degree
to prepare for a career (51.1%) rather than for graduate/professional school
(23.3%).
·
Almost one-third of
respondents (32.2%) said they would not be seeking employment after graduation,
most likely indicating their intention to attend graduate or professional
school. Among those who will be seeking employment after graduation, more than
40 percent (42.7%) reported that location would not be important in their
search for employment, while about half as many (22.0%) said that they plan to
look for employment in North Carolina only. Those in the Colleges of Design (62.3%)
and Textiles (52.1%) are most likely to report that after graduation they will
seek employment "anywhere." In comparison, about sixty percent of
respondents in the College of Education (61.1%) said that they will seek
employment in North Carolina only - - a figure two to five times higher than
reported by first-year students in any other college.
- Respondents consistently gave higher ratings to the importance of
each of 35 different knowledge, skills, and personal development goals
than to their current development of the goal. However, in general, goals
that received high importance ratings tended to receive high development
ratings. Taking responsibility for my own behavior is the highest
ranking goal in terms of both importance and development. Other goals
ranking high in importance and development include valuing racial
equity and valuing gender equity. Handling stress and time
management ranked high in importance, but low in development. Several
goals central to the University's core general education curriculum
received low importance and development ratings, including developing
an appreciation of the arts, developing the ability to apply scientific principles, developing the ability to communicate in
writing, and understanding the present as it relates to history.
For more information on the 2004 First-Year
Student Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Assistant Director for Survey Research
University Planning and Analysis
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu
Posted: January, 2005
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