North Carolina State University
2004 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 2004 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 NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 4.11 4.12 4.10 4.30 4.09 4.07
    0.7 0.6 0.8 1.2 0.6 1.0
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 2.0 2.0 2.1 1.5 2.1 2.1
3: Moderate infl. % 17.7 17.4 18.0 10.7 18.5 18.4
4: Strong influence % 44.8 44.8 44.8 39.5 45.4 45.5
5: Very strong infl. % 34.7 35.1 34.4 47.2 33.4 33.0
Total (N) 3272 1434 1838 337 2647 288

Cost NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.09 3.04 3.13 2.95 3.09 3.32
    13.0 14.1 12.0 18.0 12.7 9.3
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 16.8 16.3 17.3 17.0 17.3 12.8
3: Moderate infl. % 33.6 34.7 32.7 33.4 33.6 33.5
4: Strong influence % 21.1 21.0 21.2 15.5 21.3 26.0
5: Very strong infl. % 15.5 13.8 16.8 16.1 15.1 18.5
Total (N) 3104 1360 1744 317 2506 281

Location NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.59 3.67 3.53 3.81 3.57 3.52
    5.8 4.3 7.1 5.7 5.6 7.7
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 9.0 7.8 10.0 5.4 9.5 9.1
3: Moderate infl. % 29.0 29.6 28.4 23.3 29.6 29.8
4: Strong influence % 32.2 33.3 31.3 33.4 32.3 29.8
5: Very strong infl. % 24.0 25.0 23.1 32.2 22.9 23.5
Total (N) 3222 1428 1794 335 2602 285

Size NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.94 3.11 2.80 3.24 2.91 2.85
    13.8 10.1 16.8 9.8 14.0 16.5
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 20.1 17.4 22.3 13.2 21.0 20.6
3: Moderate infl. % 34.8 36.3 33.6 36.6 34.6 34.6
4: Strong influence % 20.7 23.6 18.3 23.4 20.7 17.6
5: Very strong infl. % 10.6 12.6 9.0 16.9 9.8 10.7
Total (N) 3120 1392 1728 325 2523 272

Availability of program NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.77 3.75 3.79 3.95 3.75 3.74
    4.9 4.7 5.0 5.6 4.9 4.0
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 9.5 10.2 8.9 3.4 10.3 9.5
3: Moderate infl. % 22.9 23.5 22.4 20.2 22.8 26.3
4: Strong influence % 29.1 28.3 29.8 31.7 28.8 28.8
5: Very strong infl. % 33.7 33.3 33.9 39.1 33.2 31.4
Total (N) 3132 1361 1771 322 2536 274

Recommended NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.36 3.40 3.32 3.16 3.39 3.29
    9.9 9.1 10.4 14.4 8.8 14.9
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 14.4 12.9 15.5 16.5 14.5 11.2
3: Moderate infl. % 27.6 28.9 26.7 24.4 28.3 24.9
4: Strong influence % 26.5 26.5 26.6 27.8 26.2 28.3
5: Very strong infl. % 21.6 22.6 20.8 16.8 22.2 20.8
Total (N) 2992 1315 1677 291 2432 269

Number of hours transferred/credited NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.11 2.07 2.15 2.45 2.06 2.26
    38.2 40.2 36.6 24.0 39.5 41.3
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 27.2 26.5 27.8 27.5 28.1 19.6
3: Moderate infl. % 23.2 22.9 23.5 32.9 22.6 19.0
4: Strong influence % 7.7 7.1 8.1 10.8 6.8 12.3
5: Very strong infl. % 3.7 3.4 4.0 4.8 3.1 7.8
Total (N) 1854 835 1019 167 1508 179

Level of support for my intended major NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.73 3.63 3.82 3.84 3.73 3.65
    5.7 6.4 5.1 4.7 5.7 6.9
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 8.8 10.5 7.4 6.6 9.1 8.0
3: Moderate infl. % 24.3 26.0 23.0 22.0 24.5 25.5
4: Strong influence % 29.0 28.4 29.4 33.0 28.1 32.4
5: Very strong infl. % 32.3 28.7 35.0 33.6 32.7 27.3
Total (N) 3069 1329 1740 318 2476 275

Facilities and resources available NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.63 3.62 3.63 4.01 3.59 3.54
    4.0 3.8 4.2 2.4 4.2 4.3
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 9.7 10.2 9.3 3.6 10.3 11.2
3: Moderate infl. % 29.5 29.5 29.4 20.9 30.3 32.0
4: Strong influence % 33.3 33.3 33.4 36.4 33.1 31.7
5: Very strong infl. % 23.5 23.2 23.7 36.7 22.1 20.9
Total (N) 3205 1407 1798 330 2597 278

Scholarships/financial aid available NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.82 2.86 2.78 3.70 2.66 3.00
    22.3 22.1 22.5 9.6 24.5 20.4
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 21.3 21.5 21.2 9.0 23.6 18.0
3: Moderate infl. % 24.7 23.1 26.0 21.1 25.4 23.5
4: Strong influence % 15.3 14.5 16.0 22.3 14.1 16.9
5: Very strong infl. % 16.3 18.8 14.2 38.1 12.4 21.2
Total (N) 2713 1211 1502 323 2135 255

Campus visit prior to orientation NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.14 3.26 3.04 3.47 3.12 2.89
    11.7 11.2 12.1 10.0 11.3 18.3
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 16.4 13.1 19.0 9.2 17.4 15.1
3: Moderate infl. % 32.4 30.1 34.1 25.4 32.9 34.9
4: Strong influence % 25.5 29.4 22.3 34.6 24.7 22.0
5: Very strong infl. % 14.0 16.2 12.3 20.8 13.7 9.6
Total (N) 2658 1176 1482 260 2180 218

Contact with a current student NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 3.03 3.13 2.94 3.04 3.05 2.81
    16.5 14.7 17.8 15.3 16.2 20.8
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 16.7 14.4 18.5 14.0 16.8 18.9
3: Moderate infl. % 28.9 30.1 27.9 34.0 28.3 29.2
4: Strong influence % 23.7 24.3 23.2 24.3 23.9 20.8
5: Very strong infl. % 14.3 16.4 12.6 12.3 14.9 10.4
Total (N) 2539 1119 1420 235 2092 212

Contact with a faculty or staff member NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.43 2.48 2.40 2.87 2.39 2.28
    31.5 29.7 32.9 20.0 32.4 38.7
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 23.0 24.0 22.2 17.9 23.9 21.1
3: Moderate infl. % 24.4 23.6 25.0 29.2 23.9 22.5
4: Strong influence % 12.6 13.5 12.0 21.0 11.9 8.5
5: Very strong infl. % 8.4 9.2 7.8 11.8 7.9 9.2
Total (N) 1700 728 972 195 1363 142

Contact with a graduate NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.77 2.71 2.81 2.82 2.79 2.49
    24.1 25.5 23.2 19.1 23.7 35.2
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 18.9 19.4 18.5 23.6 18.5 18.3
3: Moderate infl. % 26.4 27.0 26.0 26.8 26.9 20.4
4: Strong influence % 17.3 15.4 18.8 17.2 17.6 14.1
5: Very strong infl. % 13.2 12.8 13.6 13.4 13.3 12.0
Total (N) 1897 805 1092 157 1598 142

Letter from outside Admissions Office NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.01 2.03 1.98 2.59 1.92 1.97
    41.6 41.5 41.6 23.0 44.0 45.5
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 29.0 28.4 29.5 24.9 29.8 27.3
3: Moderate infl. % 19.7 18.8 20.4 29.2 18.6 16.1
4: Strong influence % 6.7 8.0 5.7 15.8 5.3 7.0
5: Very strong infl. % 3.0 3.4 2.8 7.2 2.3 4.2
Total (N) 1742 772 970 209 1390 143

Attendance at a College Fair NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.19 2.24 2.15 2.77 2.12 2.07
    35.9 34.6 36.8 18.9 37.7 39.9
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 25.8 25.0 26.4 19.5 27.0 22.3
3: Moderate infl. % 25.5 25.8 25.3 36.3 23.7 29.7
4: Strong influence % 9.3 11.4 7.7 16.3 8.6 6.8
5: Very strong infl. % 3.5 3.2 3.7 8.9 2.9 1.4
Total (N) 1762 752 1010 190 1424 148

Publications from NC State NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.23 2.30 2.17 2.81 2.16 2.16
    31.4 28.5 33.8 16.4 32.8 37.0
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 28.7 28.0 29.3 21.4 30.1 23.8
3: Moderate infl. % 28.2 31.1 25.9 37.4 27.1 27.5
4: Strong influence % 8.7 9.5 8.1 14.7 8.0 9.0
5: Very strong infl. % 2.9 2.9 2.8 10.1 2.0 2.6
Total (N) 2288 1024 1264 238 1861 189

Extracurricular opportunities NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.86 2.90 2.83 3.28 2.82 2.74
    16.2 15.5 16.7 8.4 16.8 19.7
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 20.4 18.6 22.0 12.8 21.2 22.5
3: Moderate infl. % 33.8 35.7 32.3 36.8 33.7 31.1
4: Strong influence % 19.9 20.6 19.4 25.7 19.5 17.2
5: Very strong infl. % 9.6 9.6 9.7 16.2 8.8 9.4
Total (N) 2802 1259 1543 296 2262 244

Campus recreation programs NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 2.69 2.65 2.72 3.09 2.65 2.62
    20.1 20.9 19.4 11.3 20.7 24.4
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 21.8 22.1 21.6 16.9 22.5 21.4
3: Moderate infl. % 34.1 33.9 34.3 36.5 34.3 30.3
4: Strong influence % 16.8 17.1 16.5 22.6 16.2 16.2
5: Very strong infl. % 7.1 5.9 8.1 12.8 6.4 7.7
Total (N) 2672 1179 1493 266 2172 234

Other NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
  Mean 4.21 4.42 4.07 3.97 4.25 4.22
1: Very weak infl. % 5.7 5.6 5.8 7.7 5.0 8.1
1: Very weak infl. %
2: Weak influence % 3.2 1.6 4.2 2.6 3.3 2.7
3: Moderate infl. % 13.6 5.6 18.8 23.1 12.9 8.1
4: Strong influence % 19.6 19.2 19.9 17.9 19.6 21.6
5: Very strong infl. % 57.9 68.0 51.3 48.7 59.2 59.5
Total (N) 316 125 191 39 240 37
Back to Means by Gender/Ethnicity for Survey Item #5

For more information on the 2004 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, 2005

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