North Carolina State University
2001 First-Year Student Survey Data Tables:
Frequency Distributions of Survey Item #5
(Factor Influence)

This document reports the frequency distributions by gender and race/ethnicity of survey item #5 of the Fall 2001 First-Year Student Survey. The exact wording of the survey item is as follows:

To what extent did each of the following factors influence your decision to attend NC State? Using the scale below, please enter the number closest to your opinion for each factor listed.

Scale: 5=very strong influence, 4=strong influence, 3=moderate influence, 2=weak influence, 1=very weak influence, 0=not applicable

Note: "Not applicable" responses were excluded from the analyses.

Frequency Distributions of Survey item #5

Academic reputation

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

33.6%

33.4%

33.8%

52.3%

31.8%

30.1%

4: Strong Influence

45.4%

45.0%

45.8%

35.1%

46.5%

45.4%

3: Moderate Infl.

18.4%

19.5%

17.6%

10.3%

19.0%

21.8%

2: Weak Infl.

1.7%

1.4%

2.0%

2.0%

1.7%

0.9%

1: Very Weak Infl.

0.9%

0.8%

0.9%

0.3%

0.9%

1.7%

Cost

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

15.0%

14.0%

15.8%

12.2%

15.0%

19.1%

4: Strong Influence

25.1%

23.1%

26.7%

21.2%

25.5%

25.9%

3: Moderate Infl.

32.0%

33.9%

30.6%

36.0%

31.8%

29.5%

2: Weak Infl.

16.1%

16.8%

15.6%

17.6%

15.9%

16.4%

1: Very Weak Infl.

11.7%

12.3%

11.3%

12.9%

11.8%

9.1%

Location

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

23.4%

27.8%

20.0%

31.0%

22.4%

25.6%

4: Strong Influence

34.2%

35.5%

33.2%

33.3%

34.3%

34.4%

3: Moderate Infl.

28.1%

26.5%

29.3%

26.9%

28.3%

27.3%

2: Weak Infl.

9.6%

6.9%

11.8%

5.4%

10.2%

8.4%

1: Very Weak Infl.

4.7%

3.3%

5.7%

3.4%

4.8%

4.4%

Size

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

8.8%

11.4%

6.8%

12.0%

8.6%

7.6%

4: Strong Influence

22.1%

26.6%

18.5%

26.0%

22.0%

17.9%

3: Moderate Infl.

36.4%

36.7%

36.2%

35.3%

36.0%

42.6%

2: Weak Infl.

21.3%

17.5%

24.3%

18.8%

21.6%

21.5%

1: Very Weak Infl.

11.3%

7.8%

14.1%

7.9%

11.8%

10.3%

Availability of program

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

31.7%

33.9%

30.0%

37.5%

31.0%

33.0%

4: Strong Influence

30.6%

29.8%

31.3%

25.9%

30.9%

33.5%

3: Moderate Infl.

26.4%

25.7%

27.0%

27.6%

26.5%

23.3%

2: Weak Infl.

8.1%

7.4%

8.6%

5.8%

8.4%

7.4%

1: Very Weak Infl.

3.1%

3.2%

3.1%

3.1%

3.1%

2.8%

Recommended

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

20.8%

21.3%

20.3%

25.2%

20.5%

18.0%

4: Strong Influence

26.3%

26.2%

26.4%

20.4%

27.1%

24.4%

3: Moderate Infl.

28.1%

27.2%

28.9%

27.8%

27.9%

32.2%

2: Weak Infl.

15.6%

16.1%

15.1%

14.1%

15.7%

15.6%

1: Very Weak Infl.

9.2%

9.2%

9.3%

12.6%

8.9%

9.8%

Number of hours transferred/credited

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

4.0%

4.4%

3.6%

8.9%

3.3%

6.2%

4: Strong Influence

8.4%

8.5%

8.4%

8.9%

8.1%

11.6%

3: Moderate Infl.

23.5%

24.4%

22.8%

31.8%

22.0%

30.2%

2: Weak Infl.

29.6%

31.2%

28.4%

27.4%

30.5%

21.7%

1: Very Weak Infl.

34.6%

31.6%

36.8%

22.9%

36.1%

30.2%

Level of support for my intended major

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

32.6%

30.6%

34.0%

34.7%

32.6%

29.9%

4: Strong Influence

30.1%

28.7%

31.1%

30.5%

30.1%

29.9%

3: Moderate Infl.

23.8%

25.5%

22.4%

26.7%

23.1%

28.0%

2: Weak Infl.

9.2%

10.2%

8.4%

4.9%

9.7%

8.4%

1: Very Weak Infl.

4.4%

4.9%

4.0%

3.2%

4.6%

3.7%

Facilities and resources available

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

21.9%

22.0%

21.8%

38.3%

20.5%

18.1%

4: Strong Influence

37.3%

36.9%

37.7%

38.0%

37.3%

36.7%

3: Moderate Infl.

29.3%

29.5%

29.2%

18.3%

30.1%

35.0%

2: Weak Infl.

8.0%

7.8%

8.1%

3.4%

8.7%

5.8%

1: Very Weak Infl.

3.4%

3.8%

3.2%

2.0%

3.5%

4.4%

Scholarships/financial aid available

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

16.9%

19.6%

14.8%

35.9%

14.5%

16.8%

4: Strong Influence

14.4%

14.0%

14.7%

22.1%

13.0%

19.4%

3: Moderate Infl.

24.7%

24.8%

24.7%

21.7%

24.5%

31.6%

2: Weak Infl.

23.3%

23.0%

23.5%

13.2%

25.1%

16.3%

1: Very Weak Infl.

20.7%

18.7%

22.3%

7.1%

22.8%

15.8%

Campus visit prior to orientation

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

14.1%

19.6%

9.8%

27.8%

13.2%

7.7%

4: Strong Influence

26.9%

30.1%

24.3%

29.5%

26.9%

22.6%

3: Moderate Infl.

33.4%

30.5%

35.6%

26.9%

34.0%

33.9%

2: Weak Infl.

15.9%

13.0%

18.2%

10.1%

16.0%

22.0%

1: Very Weak Infl.

9.8%

6.9%

12.0%

5.7%

9.9%

13.7%

Contact with a current student

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

14.8%

18.1%

12.3%

16.2%

14.9%

12.2%

4: Strong Influence

25.6%

26.9%

24.5%

29.5%

25.6%

20.1%

3: Moderate Infl.

27.9%

27.5%

28.1%

23.8%

27.7%

34.8%

2: Weak Infl.

17.9%

15.0%

20.1%

15.7%

17.8%

20.7%

1: Very Weak Infl.

13.9%

12.5%

15.0%

14.8%

14.0%

12.2%

Contact with a faculty or staff member

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

7.5%

9.0%

6.3%

7.7%

7.7%

4.2%

4: Strong Influence

13.5%

15.5%

12.0%

21.4%

13.0%

9.2%

3: Moderate Infl.

26.1%

27.6%

24.9%

28.0%

25.3%

32.8%

2: Weak Infl.

24.9%

22.1%

27.0%

19.6%

25.1%

29.4%

1: Very Weak Infl.

28.0%

25.7%

29.8%

23.2%

28.9%

24.4%

Contact with a graduate

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

11.1%

13.0%

9.8%

14.4%

11.3%

4.9%

4: Strong Influence

18.7%

18.6%

18.7%

21.2%

19.0%

9.7%

3: Moderate Infl.

26.3%

25.7%

26.8%

23.5%

26.2%

31.1%

2: Weak Infl.

22.0%

20.9%

22.7%

22.7%

21.7%

25.2%

1: Very Weak Infl.

21.9%

21.7%

22.1%

18.2%

21.8%

29.1%

Letter from outside admissions office

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

3.9%

3.1%

4.5%

8.0%

3.6%

2.2%

4: Strong Influence

8.2%

9.5%

7.1%

17.1%

6.7%

14.0%

3: Moderate Infl.

20.8%

23.4%

18.6%

31.0%

19.6%

21.3%

2: Weak Infl.

28.0%

24.9%

30.5%

19.3%

28.8%

30.1%

1: Very Weak Infl.

39.1%

39.0%

39.2%

24.6%

41.4%

32.4%

Attendance at a college fair

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

1.9%

1.8%

2.0%

6.0%

1.6%

0.9%

4: Strong Influence

8.1%

9.3%

7.2%

18.7%

7.2%

7.3%

3: Moderate Infl.

22.4%

23.0%

22.0%

22.4%

22.1%

26.4%

2: Weak Infl.

28.8%

29.3%

28.4%

26.1%

28.9%

30.9%

1: Very Weak Infl.

38.8%

36.6%

40.4%

26.9%

40.3%

34.5%

Publications from NC state

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

1.7%

1.8%

1.7%

7.3%

1.1%

1.8%

4: Strong Influence

10.1%

12.2%

8.3%

20.2%

8.7%

13.2%

3: Moderate Infl.

30.3%

32.7%

28.4%

34.4%

29.7%

32.9%

2: Weak Infl.

29.1%

27.2%

30.7%

22.5%

30.3%

23.4%

1: Very Weak Infl.

28.8%

26.2%

31.0%

15.6%

30.2%

28.7%

Extracurricular opportunities

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

9.2%

10.2%

8.4%

14.5%

8.7%

9.0%

4: Strong Influence

23.4%

22.3%

24.2%

27.5%

23.1%

22.1%

3: Moderate Infl.

33.3%

35.4%

31.6%

34.9%

32.6%

39.7%

2: Weak Infl.

19.3%

17.3%

20.9%

13.7%

20.1%

16.6%

1: Very Weak Infl.

14.8%

14.8%

14.8%

9.4%

15.5%

12.6%

Acceptance into First Year College

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

23.1%

26.8%

19.7%

28.7%

20.8%

36.2%

4: Strong Influence

30.6%

32.2%

29.2%

34.7%

30.4%

25.9%

3: Moderate Infl.

27.8%

27.7%

27.9%

24.8%

28.8%

22.4%

2: Weak Infl.

10.2%

7.6%

12.5%

7.9%

10.8%

8.6%

1: Very Weak Infl.

8.3%

5.6%

10.7%

4.0%

9.2%

6.9%

Other

All

Female

Male

Af. Am

White

Other

5: Very Strong Infl.

64.2%

69.2%

60.2%

60.0%

66.5%

50.0%

4: Strong Influence

18.4%

19.5%

17.5%

20.0%

17.4%

25.0%

3: Moderate Infl.

10.0%

8.3%

11.4%

8.6%

9.3%

17.9%

2: Weak Infl.

2.0%

0.8%

3.0%

5.7%

1.3%

3.6%

1: Very Weak Infl.

5.4%

2.3%

7.8%

5.7%

5.5%

3.6%

Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #5


For more information on the 2001 First-Year Student Survey contact:
Dr. Nancy Whelchel, Associate Director for Survey Research
Office of Institutional Planning and Research
Box 7002
NCSU
Phone: (919) 515-4184
E-mail: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted: December, 2001

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