NC State logo

North Carolina State University
2005 First-Year Student Survey:
Gender and Racial/Ethnic Comparisons
of Background Characteristics

This document reports gender and racial/ethnic differences in respondents' general background characteristics, such as financial aid, parent/guardian education, employment plans, and other personal information. For information about the survey and analysis methods see "2005 First-Year Student Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic Profile." Exact question wording is available on the web or by clicking on the "Q" next to the table heading.

Financial Aid | Parent/Guardian Income | Parent/Guardian Educational Attainment | First Generation Students | Household Dependents | Respondents' Home Community | Religious Preference | Musical Interests | Preparation for College | Personal Computers | Intended Work Community

Q Financial Aid
  NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Expect Financial Aid % 63.6% 65.3% 62.3% 88.3% 60.7% 62.7%
Total N 3579 1587 1992 350 2867 362

Type of Aid Expected: NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Academic % 32.9% 35.5% 30.9% 45.6% 31.9% 28.5%
Financial need % 37.7% 40.8% 35.2% 68.2% 33.3% 43.2%
Athletic based % 1.7% 1.4% 2.0% 2.9% 1.6% 1.7%
Other - dance, music, etc. % 1.6% 1.8% 1.5% 1.4% 1.7% 1.1%
Other aid than listed above % 14.8% 14.7% 15.0% 18.6% 14.5% 13.8%
Note: Respondents could list more than one type of aid.
Back to Top

Q Parent(s)/Guardian(s) 2004 Combined Income
Parent's income NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
$10,000 or less % 2.5 2.7 2.4 6.9 1.9 3.7
$10,001-$15,000 % 1.5 1.9 1.2 6.2 0.9 1.9
$15,001-$20,000 % 1.8 2.7 1.2 6.5 1.0 4.0
$20,001-$25,000 % 2.1 1.9 2.3 5.2 1.4 4.6
$25,001-$30,000 % 2.3 2.4 2.2 5.2 1.9 2.5
$30,001-$35,000 % 3.0 3.6 2.5 4.2 2.7 4.3
$35,001-$40,000 % 4.9 5.6 4.4 10.1 3.9 8.4
$40,001-$50,000 % 7.2 7.1 7.2 10.8 6.4 9.3
$50,001-$60,000 % 10.0 9.7 10.3 12.7 9.7 9.9
$60,001-$75,000 % 10.9 10.9 10.9 7.8 11.5 9.0
$75,001-$100,000 % 19.4 17.9 20.6 12.4 20.6 17.0
$100,001-$150,000 % 19.3 17.2 20.9 8.5 21.3 14.2
$150,001-$200,000 % 7.1 8.0 6.3 2.0 7.7 6.5
$200,000 plus % 7.9 8.3 7.6 1.3 9.1 4.6
Total N 3160 1346 1814 306 2531 323
Back to Top

Q Parent/Guardian Educational Attainment
Father/Male Guardian Education NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Less than high school % 2.1 2.4 1.8 4.3 1.4 5.2
High school graduate % 13.8 14.7 13.0 26.3 12.3 14.0
Some college/no degree % 12.2 12.4 12.1 19.1 11.7 10.4
2-4 yr. associate degree % 10.1 10.5 9.8 13.2 10.0 7.9
4 year baccalaureate degree % 34.5 33.4 35.4 22.7 36.5 29.6
Some graduate or prof. coursework/no degree % 3.4 3.2 3.6 2.6 3.2 6.4
Master's degree % 15.5 15.7 15.4 8.9 16.3 15.9
Doctorate or other professional degree % 8.3 7.7 8.8 3.0 8.6 10.7
Total N 3294 1468 1826 304 2662 328

Mother/Female Guardian Education NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Less than high school % 1.6 1.6 1.5 3.3 0.8 6.0
High school graduate % 12.0 11.4 12.4 14.1 11.0 18.1
Some college/no degree % 14.2 14.9 13.7 23.5 13.0 16.0
2-4 yr. associate degree % 15.4 16.3 14.6 20.9 15.1 12.3
4 year baccalaureate degree % 34.0 32.5 35.3 23.2 35.3 33.7
Some graduate or prof. coursework/no degree % 3.9 4.5 3.5 4.2 4.1 1.8
Master's degree % 15.1 15.6 14.7 8.8 16.5 9.3
Doctorate or other professional degree % 3.8 3.2 4.3 2.0 4.1 2.7
Total N 3317 1503 1814 306 2679 332

First Generation Students
  NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
First generation college student % 7.0 7.3 6.8 11.5 5.6 13.6
At least one parent some college/no degree % 21.5 22.3 20.8 38.3 19.7 19.2
Not first generation % 71.5 70.4 72.4 50.1 74.7 67.1
Total N 3564 1586 1978 347 2858 359
Back to Top

Q Dependents in Respondent???s Household
Number of dependents NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
One % 4.1 3.8 4.4 6.4 3.9 3.9
Two % 11.6 11.0 12.0 19.5 10.6 11.8
Three % 22.0 21.9 22.1 23.9 22.0 20.5
Four % 38.1 37.9 38.2 24.8 39.7 38.2
Five or more % 24.2 25.4 23.2 25.4 23.9 25.6
Total N 3545 1577 1968 343 2846 356

Q Household Dependents in College
Number of dependents in college NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Only self % 67.0 66.2 67.7 68.5 66.5 70.1
Two % 28.8 29.0 28.7 26.1 29.5 26.0
Three or more % 4.1 4.8 3.6 5.3 4.0 4.0
Total N 3494 1560 1934 337 2803 354
Back to Top

Q Respondent???s Home Community
High school area population NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Rural area % 15.3 13.3 16.8 13.9 16.2 9.0
Small town % 26.7 28.3 25.5 23.6 27.8 21.3
Moderate city % 28.5 29.9 27.4 31.6 27.8 31.2
Large city % 14.8 15.6 14.2 15.6 13.9 21.0
Urban area % 14.7 12.9 16.2 15.3 14.3 17.5
Total N 3421 1515 1906 339 2739 343
Back to Top

Q Religious Preference
  NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Assemblies of God % 1.1% 0.7% 1.4% 1.6% 0.9% 1.9%
Baha'i % 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 0.3%
Baptist % 25.6% 26.3% 25.0% 48.6% 24.1% 14.6%
Buddhist % 0.9% 0.4% 1.3% 0.0% 0.4% 5.4%
Catholic % 12.4% 14.2% 11.0% 3.6% 12.6% 19.5%
Disciples of Christ % 0.7% 0.9% 0.5% 2.5% 0.6% 0.0%
Episcopal % 2.8% 3.3% 2.5% 2.7% 3.1% 1.1%
Hindu % 1.0% 0.9% 1.1% 0.0% 0.0% 10.3%
Jewish % 1.0% 1.2% 0.9% 0.0% 1.2% 1.1%
Latter-Day Saints % 0.2% 0.1% 0.3% 0.0% 0.2% 0.0%
Lutheran % 3.4% 3.3% 3.4% 0.0% 4.1% 0.8%
Moravian % 0.6% 0.7% 0.5% 0.0% 0.8% 0.0%
Muslim % 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 0.8% 0.3% 3.8%
Presbyterian (PCA) % 1.2% 1.0% 1.4% 0.0% 1.5% 0.5%
Presbyterian (USA) % 6.6% 6.0% 7.2% 1.4% 7.6% 4.6%
Unitarian % 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 0.3% 0.4% 0.0%
United Methodist % 14.0% 14.4% 13.7% 3.6% 16.4% 5.4%
Non-denominational % 5.3% 6.4% 4.4% 7.1% 5.4% 2.4%
No religious preference % 15.4% 13.9% 16.6% 10.4% 15.5% 19.5%
Other religious preference % 8.2% 7.5% 8.7% 17.6% 7.0% 8.1%
Total N 3660 1622 2038 364 2927 369
*Note: Respondents were able to select multiple religious preferences.
Back to Top

Q Musical Interests
  NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Play musical instrument(s) % yes 36.0% 32.4% 38.9% 33.0% 36.4% 36.6%
Total N 3626 1608 2018 355 2905 366

  NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Recent participation in choral group % yes 21.8% 28.0% 16.8% 34.1% 20.8% 18.1%
Total N 3610 1604 2006 352 2894 364
Back to Top

Q Preparation for College by High School
HS preparation for college NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Well prepared % 44.9 47.1 43.1 38.4 45.9 43.2
Adequately prepared % 45.7 44.9 46.3 48.2 45.0 48.4
Poorly prepared % 9.4 8.0 10.6 13.4 9.1 8.5
Total N 3649 1621 2028 359 2924 366

QPreparation for College by Self
Self preparation for college NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Well prepared % 39.7 42.8 37.2 34.9 41.0 33.9
Adequately prepared % 54.3 53.5 55.0 57.8 53.2 59.6
Poorly prepared % 6.0 3.8 7.8 7.3 5.8 6.6
Total N 3645 1620 2025 358 2921 366
Back to Top

Q Extent and Types of Personal Computers
Have personal computer NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Yes, Laptop % 73.1 77.2 69.8 54.4 75.9 68.8
Yes, Desktop % 14.9 12.3 16.9 18.3 14.5 14.5
Yes, Laptop and Desktop % 6.1 3.3 8.4 4.7 6.1 7.4
No % 1.5 1.7 1.3 5.9 0.7 3.1
Do not know % 4.4 5.5 3.6 16.6 2.8 6.3
Total N 3508 1565 1943 338 2818 352

Q Personal Computer Connection to Internet
Connect to NCSU Internet NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Yes % 93.2 91.7 94.5 82.2 94.7 89.2
No % 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.8
Do not know % 6.5 7.9 5.3 17.3 5.1 10.0
Total N 2632 1170 1462 197 2184 251
Back to Top

Q Intended Work Community
Location of future employment NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Anywhere % 28.2 24.3 31.3 25.7 27.9 32.7
In North Carolina % 14.3 14.1 14.4 10.2 15.6 7.4
Outside NC but in USA % 22.6 18.4 26.0 23.4 23.1 18.1
Outside the USA % 0.7 0.6 0.8 0.0 0.6 2.3
Will not seek employment % 34.2 42.6 27.5 40.6 32.7 39.5
Total N 3488 1554 1934 342 2797 349

Location of future employment (Among
those seeking employment, N=2,295)
NCSU Women Men AfAm White Other
Anywhere % 42.8 42.3 43.2 43.3 41.5 54.0
In North Carolina % 21.7 24.6 19.9 17.2 23.2 12.3
Outside NC but in USA % 34.4 32.1 35.9 39.4 34.3 29.9
Outside the USA % 1.1 1.1 1.1 0.0 0.9 3.8
Total N 2295 892 1403 203 1881 211
Back to Top


For more information on the 2005 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
Email: Nancy_Whelchel@ncsu.edu

Posted: February, 2007

Return to 2005 First-Year Student Survey Table of Contents Page

Return to OIRP Survey Page

Return to OIRP Home Page