North Carolina State University
2009 First-Year Student Survey:
Gender and Racial/Ethnic Comparisons Comparisons
Applying to NC State
This document reports gender and racial/ethnic differences in respondents' experiences with the application process and factors influencing their decision to attend NC State. For information about the survey and analysis methods see "2009 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.
Number of Schools
Applied To | Contacts During the Admissions Process
| Factors Influencing Attendance Decision | Most
Influential Factor |
NC State as First Choice | Satisfaction with Admissions | Virtual Advising Center Rating
| Number of colleges applied to | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 13.8% | 17.1% | 10.5% | 8.9% | 8.0% | 7.3% | 15.3% | 11.3% |
| Two | 18.7% | 22.3% | 14.9% | 20.7% | 12.4% | 19.1% | 19.7% | 12.6% |
| Three | 24.8% | 24.9% | 24.7% | 21.9% | 18.9% | 30.0% | 25.6% | 22.2% |
| Four | 18.5% | 16.6% | 20.5% | 20.1% | 18.1% | 16.4% | 18.0% | 24.3% |
| Five or more | 24.2% | 19.1% | 29.4% | 28.4% | 42.6% | 27.3% | 21.4% | 29.6% |
| Total (N) | 3,235 | 1,648 | 1,587 | 169 | 249 | 110 | 2,477 | 230 |
| Call from faculty/staff | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 11.6% | 11.4% | 11.9% | 9.0% | 22.9% | 9.2% | 10.9% | 11.0% |
| No | 66.2% | 66.7% | 65.7% | 68.7% | 58.8% | 67.9% | 66.1% | 72.8% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 22.1% | 21.8% | 22.5% | 22.3% | 18.4% | 22.9% | 23.0% | 16.2% |
| Total (N) | 3,186 | 1,627 | 1,559 | 166 | 245 | 109 | 2,438 | 228 |
| Call from current student | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 17.3% | 16.5% | 18.1% | 13.3% | 24.5% | 20.2% | 17.3% | 10.7% |
| No | 65.4% | 67.2% | 63.6% | 69.9% | 61.6% | 60.6% | 65.5% | 68.3% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 17.3% | 16.4% | 18.3% | 16.9% | 13.9% | 19.3% | 17.2% | 21.0% |
| Total (N) | 3,174 | 1,626 | 1,548 | 166 | 237 | 109 | 2,438 | 224 |
| Call from graduate | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 7.2% | 8.7% | 5.7% | 5.5% | 6.8% | 2.8% | 7.9% | 4.0% |
| No | 73.1% | 72.7% | 73.6% | 75.5% | 73.5% | 74.1% | 72.5% | 77.8% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 19.7% | 18.6% | 20.8% | 19.0% | 19.7% | 23.1% | 19.7% | 18.2% |
| Total (N) | 3,144 | 1,612 | 1,532 | 163 | 234 | 108 | 2,414 | 225 |
| Letter from outside Admissions Office | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 51.6% | 52.5% | 50.6% | 60.5% | 57.8% | 51.4% | 50.4% | 50.4% |
| No | 20.8% | 21.1% | 20.4% | 19.8% | 18.5% | 22.0% | 20.5% | 25.9% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 27.7% | 26.4% | 29.0% | 19.8% | 23.7% | 26.6% | 29.0% | 23.7% |
| Total (N) | 3,217 | 1,639 | 1,578 | 167 | 249 | 109 | 2,464 | 228 |
| Mean Rating (scale: 5=Very strong influence, 4=Strong influence, 3=Moderate influence, 2=Weak influence, 1=Very weak influence) |
||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All |
Men |
Women |
Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|
| Academic reputation | 4.19 | 4.18 | 4.20 | 4.10 | 4.35 | 4.41 | 4.18 | 4.10 |
| Other | 4.13 | 4.02 | 4.27 | 3.53 | 4.39 | 3.78 | 4.18 | 4.08 |
| Availability of program | 4.02 | 4.02 | 4.02 | 3.92 | 4.01 | 3.93 | 4.04 | 3.96 |
| Level of support for my intended major | 4.00 | 4.05 | 3.95 | 3.87 | 4.14 | 4.07 | 4.03 | 3.71 |
| Acceptance into the First Year College Program | 3.94 | 3.97 | 3.92 | 3.89 | 4.06 | 4.00 | 3.96 | 3.61 |
| Facilities and resources available | 3.94 | 3.94 | 3.95 | 3.86 | 4.11 | 3.91 | 3.95 | 3.82 |
| Location | 3.81 | 3.79 | 3.84 | 3.94 | 3.88 | 3.91 | 3.80 | 3.81 |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | 3.63 | 3.54 | 3.73 | 3.42 | 3.88 | 3.52 | 3.64 | 3.50 |
| Cost | 3.55 | 3.59 | 3.50 | 3.92 | 3.50 | 3.55 | 3.53 | 3.59 |
| Recommended by a friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc. | 3.50 | 3.48 | 3.52 | 3.55 | 3.39 | 3.68 | 3.52 | 3.22 |
| Contact with a current student | 3.45 | 3.37 | 3.53 | 3.50 | 3.52 | 3.43 | 3.44 | 3.42 |
| Extracurricular opportunities | 3.26 | 3.21 | 3.32 | 3.05 | 3.63 | 3.31 | 3.25 | 3.11 |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | 3.24 | 3.16 | 3.31 | 3.42 | 4.01 | 3.58 | 3.13 | 3.16 |
| Size | 3.23 | 3.16 | 3.31 | 3.19 | 3.24 | 3.17 | 3.23 | 3.29 |
| Carmichael Complex Recreational facilities (e.g., gym, pool, fitness center, fields) | 3.14 | 3.19 | 3.10 | 3.05 | 3.43 | 3.09 | 3.12 | 3.20 |
| Campus Recreation programs | 3.08 | 3.11 | 3.05 | 2.95 | 3.37 | 2.98 | 3.06 | 3.09 |
| Contact with a graduate | 3.08 | 3.07 | 3.08 | 3.08 | 3.06 | 2.79 | 3.10 | 2.89 |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | 2.85 | 2.84 | 2.87 | 2.92 | 3.09 | 2.86 | 2.83 | 2.75 |
| Pack Promise Program | 2.65 | 2.61 | 2.69 | 2.98 | 3.35 | 3.16 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Attendance at a College Fair | 2.58 | 2.53 | 2.64 | 2.77 | 2.97 | 2.73 | 2.52 | 2.60 |
| Publications from NC State | 2.56 | 2.49 | 2.62 | 2.76 | 2.95 | 2.80 | 2.50 | 2.54 |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | 2.47 | 2.50 | 2.43 | 2.79 | 2.72 | 2.48 | 2.42 | 2.50 |
| Letter from someone other than Admissions Office | 2.45 | 2.42 | 2.49 | 2.68 | 2.89 | 2.53 | 2.39 | 2.47 |
Back to Top Q Most influential factor in decision to attend NC State
| Most influential factor | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level of support for my intended major | 24.2% | 25.4% | 22.8% | 11.9% | 18.2% | 21.8% | 26.3% | 17.9% |
| Academic reputation | 23.3% | 26.1% | 20.3% | 31.0% | 25.5% | 27.3% | 22.2% | 24.0% |
| Location | 9.5% | 8.5% | 10.5% | 10.7% | 9.3% | 5.5% | 9.1% | 15.3% |
| Cost | 7.4% | 8.6% | 6.2% | 10.7% | 6.5% | 10.0% | 7.1% | 8.7% |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | 6.7% | 5.7% | 7.7% | 8.3% | 13.0% | 10.0% | 5.5% | 10.0% |
| Recommended by a friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc. | 4.5% | 4.3% | 4.7% | 4.2% | 2.8% | 2.7% | 4.8% | 4.4% |
| Other | 3.9% | 3.9% | 3.9% | 4.8% | 0.8% | . | 4.1% | 6.1% |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | 3.7% | 2.5% | 4.9% | 0.6% | 4.9% | 2.7% | 4.0% | 1.7% |
| Facilities and resources available | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 3.6% | 0.8% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 3.1% |
| Availability | 2.6% | 2.7% | 2.5% | 4.2% | 0.8% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 1.7% |
| Contact with a current student | 2.6% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 1.2% | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 2.2% |
| Acceptance into the First Year College Program | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.9% | 0.6% | 2.8% | 5.5% | 2.4% | 0.4% |
| Pack Promise Program | 1.5% | 1.4% | 1.6% | 1.2% | 7.7% | 5.5% | 0.8% | 1.3% |
| Contact with a graduate | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.8% | . | . | 1.7% | 0.9% |
| Extracurricular opportunities | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 3.2% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 0.9% |
| Size | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 1.8% | . | . | 1.3% | 0.4% |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.4% | . | 0.8% | . |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% | . | . | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| Carmichael Complex Recreational facilities (e.g., gym, pool, fitness center, fields) | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.8% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Letter from someone other than Admissions Office | 0.1% | 0.1% | . | 0.6% | . | . | 0.0% | . |
| Attendance at a College Fair | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | . | 0.4% | . | 0.1% | . |
| Publications from NC State | 0.1% | . | 0.1% | . | . | . | 0.1% | . |
| Campus Recreation programs | 0.1% | . | 0.3% | . | 0.4% | . | 0.1% | . |
| Total (N) | 3,217 | 1,639 | 1,578 | 168 | 247 | 110 | 2,463 | 229 |
| Was NC State first choice of colleges to attend | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It was my only choice | 11.7% | 15.0% | 8.1% | 7.1% | 6.5% | 6.4% | 13.0% | 9.2% |
| Yes - it was my first choice | 52.5% | 51.6% | 53.4% | 36.7% | 48.8% | 58.2% | 54.4% | 45.0% |
| No - it was my second choice | 29.0% | 27.3% | 30.7% | 44.4% | 34.7% | 27.3% | 26.6% | 37.6% |
| No - it was my third choice or below | 6.9% | 6.0% | 7.7% | 11.8% | 10.1% | 8.2% | 6.0% | 8.3% |
| Total (N) | 3,226 | 1,643 | 1,583 | 169 | 248 | 110 | 2,470 | 229 |
| Satisfaction with university admissions process | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Rating | 3.56 | 3.50 | 3.62 | 3.59 | 3.59 | 3.50 | 3.56 | 3.45 |
| 4: Very satisfied | 59.1% | 54.2% | 64.1% | 63.1% | 62.3% | 52.7% | 59.5% | 51.1% |
| 3: Moderately satisfied | 38.1% | 42.1% | 33.9% | 33.3% | 34.8% | 44.5% | 37.9% | 44.1% |
| 2: Moderately dissatisfied | 2.4% | 3.1% | 1.7% | 3.0% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 2.3% | 3.5% |
| 1: Very dissatisfied | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.4% | . | 0.4% | 1.3% |
| Total (N) | 3,217 | 1,634 | 1,583 | 168 | 247 | 110 | 2,463 | 229 |
| Satisfaction with departmental admissions process | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Rating | 3.56 | 3.51 | 3.61 | 3.45 | 3.57 | 3.51 | 3.58 | 3.41 |
| 4: Very satisfied | 59.2% | 54.7% | 63.9% | 50.9% | 60.2% | 52.9% | 60.8% | 50.0% |
| 3: Moderately satisfied | 37.5% | 41.8% | 33.2% | 43.6% | 36.9% | 45.1% | 36.3% | 44.0% |
| 2: Moderately dissatisfied | 2.7% | 3.0% | 2.5% | 5.5% | 2.5% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 3.2% |
| 1: Very dissatisfied | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.4% | . | 0.4% | . | 0.3% | 2.8% |
| Total (N) | 3,109 | 1,573 | 1,536 | 163 | 236 | 102 | 2,390 | 218 |
| Virtual Advising Center website rating | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4: Excellent | 18.5% | 16.5% | 20.5% | 22.5% | 24.9% | 14.5% | 17.9% | 17.0% |
| 3: Good | 43.9% | 44.6% | 43.3% | 47.9% | 36.1% | 44.5% | 44.1% | 47.2% |
| 2: Fair | 8.8% | 9.9% | 7.7% | 8.9% | 8.0% | 11.8% | 8.6% | 10.5% |
| 1: Poor | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.2% | . | . | 1.4% | 2.2% |
| Never used | 27.5% | 27.7% | 27.3% | 19.5% | 30.9% | 29.1% | 28.0% | 23.1% |
| Total (N) | 3,229 | 1,644 | 1,585 | 169 | 249 | 110 | 2,472 | 229 |
| Virtual Advising Center website rating (among those who have used the website) | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / AfrAmer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4: Excellent | 25.5% | 22.9% | 28.2% | 27.9% | 36.0% | 20.5% | 24.8% | 22.2% |
| 3: Good | 60.6% | 61.7% | 59.5% | 59.6% | 52.3% | 62.8% | 61.3% | 61.4% |
| 2: Fair | 12.1% | 13.6% | 10.6% | 11.0% | 11.6% | 16.7% | 11.9% | 13.6% |
| 1: Poor | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.5% | . | . | 1.9% | 2.8% |
| Total (N) | 2,341 | 1,188 | 1,153 | 136 | 172 | 78 | 1,779 | 176 |
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: May, 2010
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