North Carolina State University
2003 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 2003 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 | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 35.5% | 36.2% | 34.9% | 53.3% | 33.7% | 30.3% |
| 4: Strong influence | 44.2% | 45.8% | 43.0% | 34.3% | 45.5% | 43.3% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 18.3% | 16.5% | 19.7% | 10.9% | 18.7% | 24.7% |
| 2: Weak influence | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 1.3% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| Availability of program | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 34.0% | 33.8% | 34.1% | 43.2% | 33.0% | 32.8% |
| 4: Strong influence | 31.8% | 30.0% | 33.1% | 31.8% | 32.0% | 29.3% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 23.3% | 24.6% | 22.2% | 17.9% | 23.3% | 29.7% |
| 2: Weak influence | 7.9% | 8.3% | 7.6% | 4.0% | 8.4% | 7.0% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 3.1% | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 1.3% |
| Level of support for my intended major | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 30.1% | 26.8% | 32.4% | 35.8% | 29.5% | 28.9% |
| 4: Strong influence | 30.8% | 29.1% | 32.0% | 34.2% | 30.5% | 29.4% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 24.1% | 27.7% | 21.5% | 20.6% | 24.2% | 27.5% |
| 2: Weak influence | 9.3% | 10.1% | 8.7% | 5.1% | 9.6% | 11.0% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 5.7% | 6.3% | 5.3% | 4.4% | 6.1% | 3.2% |
| Facilities and resources available | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 22.1% | 22.2% | 22.0% | 30.0% | 21.2% | 20.8% |
| 4: Strong influence | 34.8% | 33.7% | 35.5% | 36.2% | 34.9% | 30.5% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 31.5% | 33.1% | 30.2% | 27.3% | 31.9% | 32.7% |
| 2: Weak influence | 8.9% | 8.3% | 9.4% | 4.5% | 9.2% | 12.4% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 2.8% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 3.5% |
| Location | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 22.2% | 23.2% | 21.4% | 26.5% | 21.5% | 24.6% |
| 4: Strong influence | 34.0% | 36.1% | 32.5% | 36.6% | 33.8% | 32.8% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 29.7% | 28.9% | 30.3% | 28.3% | 29.7% | 31.5% |
| 2: Weak influence | 9.3% | 8.1% | 10.2% | 5.4% | 9.9% | 8.2% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 4.7% | 3.6% | 5.6% | 3.3% | 5.1% | 3.0% |
| Acceptance into First Year College | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 27.0% | 30.6% | 22.9% | 27.7% | 27.1% | 25.0% |
| 4: Strong influence | 31.4% | 30.3% | 32.6% | 21.5% | 32.7% | 30.6% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 26.0% | 25.9% | 26.2% | 30.8% | 25.3% | 27.8% |
| 2: Weak influence | 9.1% | 7.9% | 10.4% | 9.2% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 6.5% | 5.4% | 7.9% | 10.8% | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| Recommended | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 19.8% | 20.5% | 19.3% | 18.5% | 20.0% | 19.7% |
| 4: Strong influence | 27.9% | 27.8% | 27.9% | 26.5% | 28.4% | 23.9% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 28.8% | 28.4% | 29.0% | 29.5% | 28.4% | 32.1% |
| 2: Weak influence | 14.3% | 14.1% | 14.5% | 12.9% | 14.3% | 17.0% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 9.2% | 9.1% | 9.3% | 12.6% | 9.0% | 7.3% |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 13.6% | 19.0% | 9.6% | 25.9% | 12.6% | 10.0% |
| 4: Strong influence | 26.8% | 28.9% | 25.3% | 25.9% | 27.3% | 21.8% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 34.4% | 32.4% | 36.0% | 30.8% | 34.4% | 40.0% |
| 2: Weak influence | 13.9% | 10.9% | 16.1% | 9.3% | 14.2% | 15.3% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 11.3% | 8.8% | 13.1% | 8.1% | 11.5% | 12.9% |
| Cost | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 16.4% | 14.9% | 17.5% | 21.8% | 15.1% | 23.8% |
| 4: Strong influence | 22.9% | 22.5% | 23.3% | 16.0% | 23.6% | 25.1% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 33.4% | 35.0% | 32.2% | 32.6% | 33.7% | 30.8% |
| 2: Weak influence | 15.4% | 15.3% | 15.5% | 13.9% | 15.8% | 12.3% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 11.9% | 12.4% | 11.6% | 15.7% | 11.8% | 7.9% |
| Contact with a current student | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 13.9% | 17.7% | 10.9% | 17.0% | 13.6% | 12.9% |
| 4: Strong influence | 26.0% | 28.2% | 24.4% | 26.1% | 26.6% | 19.1% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 31.1% | 28.8% | 32.9% | 28.2% | 31.3% | 32.0% |
| 2: Weak influence | 16.4% | 15.1% | 17.4% | 18.3% | 16.0% | 18.0% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 12.7% | 10.3% | 14.5% | 10.4% | 12.5% | 18.0% |
| Size | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 10.4% | 11.0% | 9.9% | 12.7% | 10.0% | 10.6% |
| 4: Strong influence | 23.3% | 25.8% | 21.4% | 27.9% | 23.1% | 18.3% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 35.0% | 35.9% | 34.3% | 37.0% | 34.3% | 40.8% |
| 2: Weak influence | 19.7% | 18.2% | 20.9% | 13.9% | 20.8% | 16.1% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 11.6% | 9.1% | 13.5% | 8.5% | 11.7% | 14.2% |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 18.6% | 22.6% | 15.5% | 39.4% | 15.2% | 23.6% |
| 4: Strong influence | 16.5% | 16.7% | 16.4% | 24.1% | 15.2% | 19.7% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 24.3% | 21.4% | 26.5% | 21.0% | 24.7% | 25.1% |
| 2: Weak influence | 20.0% | 19.2% | 20.6% | 8.3% | 21.9% | 16.7% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 20.6% | 20.1% | 21.0% | 7.3% | 23.0% | 14.8% |
| Extracurricular opportunities | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 10.0% | 11.9% | 8.6% | 17.0% | 9.2% | 9.8% |
| 4: Strong influence | 23.4% | 23.5% | 23.3% | 31.3% | 22.9% | 17.5% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 32.7% | 31.8% | 33.4% | 29.3% | 32.6% | 39.3% |
| 2: Weak influence | 19.4% | 19.6% | 19.3% | 13.6% | 20.2% | 18.6% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 14.4% | 13.2% | 15.4% | 8.8% | 15.1% | 14.8% |
| Contact with a graduate | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 11.8% | 13.6% | 10.5% | 13.1% | 11.9% | 8.5% |
| 4: Strong influence | 18.9% | 21.2% | 17.3% | 14.3% | 19.9% | 12.0% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 27.8% | 26.7% | 28.6% | 30.3% | 27.4% | 29.9% |
| 2: Weak influence | 20.7% | 20.4% | 20.9% | 26.3% | 19.8% | 24.8% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 20.7% | 18.1% | 22.6% | 16.0% | 20.9% | 24.8% |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 7.5% | 9.4% | 6.2% | 16.9% | 6.3% | 6.2% |
| 4: Strong influence | 13.9% | 15.3% | 12.9% | 14.5% | 14.2% | 10.0% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 25.2% | 24.5% | 25.8% | 30.9% | 24.5% | 24.6% |
| 2: Weak influence | 25.9% | 26.0% | 25.9% | 21.7% | 25.6% | 35.4% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 27.4% | 24.8% | 29.4% | 15.9% | 29.4% | 23.8% |
| Publications from NC State | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 2.9% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 9.7% | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| 4: Strong influence | 11.6% | 14.4% | 9.4% | 22.8% | 10.2% | 11.0% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 30.7% | 31.2% | 30.4% | 32.0% | 30.7% | 29.1% |
| 2: Weak influence | 27.8% | 25.9% | 29.4% | 19.3% | 28.9% | 27.9% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 26.9% | 25.2% | 28.1% | 16.2% | 28.0% | 29.7% |
| Attendance at a College Fair | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 3.7% | 4.6% | 3.0% | 8.2% | 3.1% | 4.5% |
| 4: Strong influence | 10.4% | 10.5% | 10.3% | 14.9% | 9.8% | 10.6% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 27.8% | 27.4% | 28.1% | 37.1% | 26.3% | 31.1% |
| 2: Weak influence | 26.3% | 26.6% | 26.1% | 23.2% | 25.9% | 35.6% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 31.8% | 30.8% | 32.4% | 16.5% | 34.9% | 18.2% |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 3.7% | 3.1% | 4.1% | 7.3% | 3.3% | 3.9% |
| 4: Strong influence | 9.4% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 7.9% | 9.3% | 11.8% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 24.3% | 25.2% | 23.8% | 30.9% | 23.0% | 30.3% |
| 2: Weak influence | 28.7% | 30.9% | 27.2% | 27.5% | 28.7% | 30.3% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 33.9% | 31.6% | 35.5% | 26.4% | 35.7% | 23.7% |
| Letter from outside Admissions Office | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 4.5% | 5.1% | 4.0% | 12.3% | 3.5% | 3.4% |
| 4: Strong influence | 7.0% | 7.2% | 6.9% | 11.9% | 6.2% | 9.2% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 21.9% | 21.9% | 21.8% | 29.2% | 20.6% | 24.4% |
| 2: Weak influence | 26.8% | 25.1% | 28.1% | 24.2% | 26.9% | 30.3% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 39.8% | 40.6% | 39.1% | 22.4% | 42.8% | 32.8% |
| Other | All | Women | Men | AfAm | White | Other |
| 5: Very strong infl. | 64.8% | 76.5% | 57.5% | 66.7% | 65.5% | 54.2% |
| 4: Strong influence | 17.6% | 18.3% | 17.2% | 20.5% | 17.6% | 12.5% |
| 3: Moderate infl. | 9.6% | 4.3% | 12.9% | 5.1% | 10.1% | 12.5% |
| 2: Weak influence | 2.7% | 0.0% | 4.3% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 8.3% |
| 1: Very weak infl. | 5.3% | 0.9% | 8.1% | 5.1% | 4.6% | 12.5% |
For more information on the 2003
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: January, 2004
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