NC State conducted its annual survey of entering first-year students during the summer of 2010. After attending New Student Orientation students were e-mailed an invitation to complete the survey online. At the start of the Fall semester students who had not attended orientation were also invited to participate.

The survey response rate was 61.3 percent (N=2,882 of 4,703). Due to their high response rate, women are slightly overrepresented among survey respondents. There are no significant racial/ethnic differences between the first-year population and survey respondents. Students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are slightly overrepresented among survey respondents, while students in the College of Engineering are slightly underrepresented. Survey respondents tended to have slightly higher high school grade point averages than the population as a whole.

Over 40 percent of incoming first year students said they come from a small town (28%) or rural area (14%), while 15 percent come from an urban area.

About 70 percent of first-year students reported coming from a household consisting of four or more people (71%) . Close to two-thirds reported being the only household dependent currently enrolled in college (65%) and another 30 percent reported two household dependents in college.

Close to 40 percent of respondents reported a family income of more than $100,000 per year (38%). African American (30%), Asian American (230%), and Hispanic (28%) respondents were more than three times as likely as white respondents (8.1%) to report a family income of $30,000 or less.

A majority of respondents reported that their father/male guardian had received a 4-year baccalaureate degree or higher (e.g., M.S., Ph.D.) degree (61%). This figure was slightly lower for mothers/female guardians (59%). Less than 10 percent of respondents (7%) are first generation college students, with neither parent/guardian having ever attended college. Hispanic respondents were most likely (24%) and white respondents were least likely (4%) to report being a first generation college student.

Nearly all respondents reported that they planned to bring a laptop computer (94%), a desktop computer (1%), or both a desktop and a laptop (3%) to campus. Almost all respondents also say they have a mobile handheld device, and about 60 percent of them have internet access via their mobile device. 70 percent of these students say they use their mobile devise to access the internet several times a day, and 55 percent say they use it to check their email several times a day.

About 10 percent of respondents reported that NC State was the only school to which they applied (12%) while over one-fourth said they had applied to "five or more colleges" including NC State (26%). Men were more likely than women (15% vs.10%) and whites (13%) were more likely than Hispanics (11%), Asian Americans (9%), and African Americans (6%) to report having applied "only to NC State." Respondents in the College of Natural Resources (21%) were most likely and those in the College of Humanities (6%) least likely to report having applied "only to NC State." Close to two-thirds of respondents said that NC State was their first (55%) or only choice (10%) among colleges to attend.

Essentially all respondents were "moderately" or "very satisfied" with university (97%) and departmental (97%) admissions processes. One-half of respondents reported that after applying for admission to NC State they received a letter from someone at NC State other than the Admissions Office (50%). Respondents were more likely to report having received a call from a current student (17%) than from a faculty/staff member (13%) or NC State alumni (8%).

Students were most likely to rate the level of support for their intended major (45%), the availability of intended program of study (42%), and the academic reputation of NC State (41%) as having a "very strong influence" in their desision to attend NC State. When asked to identify the single most influential factor in their decision to attend NC State, students most commonly reported academic reputation (23%) and level of support for intended major (19%). A total of 15 percent of respondents considered the financial aspect of attending NC State critical in their decision-making, saying that either cost (7%), scholarships/financial aid available (5%), or the Pack Promise Program (2%) was the most influential factor in their decision to attend NC State.

About three-fourths of respondents (74%) said they had used NC State's Virtual Advising Center website. Those in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (83%) were most likely to have used the website, and those in the College of Design (52%) least likely. The majority of all users, regardless of College, were pleased with the website, giving it a rating of "excellent" (27%) or "good" (59%).

Almost 80 percent of students said they had submitted the FAFSA. Students most commonly reported receiving financial aid in the form of academic/merit scholarships or grants (43%), federal or state loans (42%), and need-based scholarships or grants (39%).

The vast majority of respondents said they would cover their educational expenses, at least in part, using "family resources (parents, relative, spouse, etc.)" (87%). Over one-third of incoming students reported that family resources would cover $10,000 or more of their first year expenses (35%). Two-thirds of respondents said they would use their "own resources (savings from work, other income)" to help cover educational expenses (66%), although the majority of these students said they themselves would be contributing less than $1,000 towards their expenses (63%).

About 70 percent of respondents reported that they would rely on some form of "aid that does not need to be repaid" to help cover educational expenses (71%). More than 30 percent of those students receiving grants or scholarships said they would be getting $10,000 or more from such funding to put towards expenses. Although less likely to be used to help cover expenses, more than half of respondents reported relying on "aid that must be repaid" as a financial resource (53%). Almost 15 percent of incoming students, or about one-fourth of those saying they were getting loans, said they would be taking out $6,000 or more in loans to cover their first year expenses.

About half of incoming students said they felt "very well prepared" for college by they own efforts (52%) or by their high school (50%). However, a sizeable number said they were "not very well prepared" for college by their high school (8%). Students from rural areas and small towns were much more likely than those from large cities and urban areas to feel only "somewhat" or "not very well prepared" for college by their high school.

About 15 percent of respondents indicated they had participated in one or more of four different pre-college programs: Educational Talent Search, Upward Bound, GEAR UP, or Early College. Students from relatively lower income families (i.e., an annual income less than $50,000) who participated in a pre-college program were more likely than lower income students who had not participated in such a program to feel " very well prepared" for college by their own efforts (57% vs 45%).

Respondents were asked to rate their current level of development and their perception of the importance of each of 34 knowledge, skills, and personal development goals NC State has for an undergraduate education. Respondents consistently gave higher ratings to the importance of the goals than to their current level of development of the goals. However, it is important to point out that large majorities of students believe the individual goals are important, and also believe that they have already developed them to a reasonable degree. Each of the 34 goals received an average importance rating of at least 3.2 on a 4-point scale, and 27 of them received an average " current development" rating of 3.0 or better on a 4-point scale.

The 34 goals were grouped into three categories, representing those related to 'general education' (e.g., comprehension skills, problem-solving skills), 'personal development' (e.g., time management, ability to handle stress), and 'world views' (e.g., appreciating gender equity, ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds). In rating their current level of development, respondents generally gave higher ratings to goals related to world views. Importance ratings, on the other hand, were highest for personal development goals.

In general goals that received high importance ratings tended to receive high development ratings. Comparisons of the average ratings for perceptions of the importance of a goal to ratings of current level of development of each goal reveal that the world view goals of appreciating gender equity and appreciating racial equity and the personal development goal of ability to function as part of a team were among the highest rated goals in terms of both current development and importance. The personal development goals of ability to handle stress and time management ranked high in importance, but low in development. Several goals central to the University's core general education curriculum received low importance and development ratings, including applying scientific methods of inquiry and writing skills.

In response to a question asking them to comment in their own words on what they are most concerned or nervous about in starting their first semester at NC State, about one-third of students mentioned issues related to their academic performance or managing the workload, and another 20 percent commented on the transition to college. When asked about what they were most excited about the most common responses related to social activities (34%), personal or career development (22%), and their new-found independence (20%).

More than three-fourths of respondents said they were "certain" (41%) or "very certain" (36%) of their choice of college major. Not surprisingly, respondents in First Year College were far more likely than others to be "uncertain" (49%) or "very uncertain" (11%) of their major (60%). Incoming students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences were also slightly more likely than others to say they were "uncertain" (21%) or "very uncertain" (3%) about their major.

More than 85 percent of respondents said they intended to complete their bachelor's degree in 4 years or less. Those in the College of Education (96%) were most likely and those in the College of Design (72%) least likely to intend to complete their degree within 4 years.

Sixty percent of respondents reported that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school" (60%). Women (66%) were more likely than men (53%) to report that their primary goal or objective is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school." On the other hand, men (34%) were more likely than women (26%) to report that their primary goal or objective is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for a career." Two-thirds or more respondents in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences (83%), Physical and Mathematical Sciences (76%), and Humanities and Social Sciences (72%) reported that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State is to "obtain a bachelor's degree as preparation for graduate or professional school." Respondents in the Colleges of Education (51%) and Textiles (46%) were more likely than those in other colleges to report that their primary goal or objective for attending NC State was career preparation.

Three-fourths of respondents reported that their highest intended level of education was a Master's degree or higher (76%). Women (81%) were more likely than men (70%), and Asian Americans (88%), Hispanics (88%), and African Americans (83%) were more likely than whites (73%) to report that they intend to obtain a Master's degree or higher. More than 80 percent of respondents in the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences (90%), Physical and Mathematical Sciences (89%), and Humanities and Social Sciences (83%) reported that they intend to obtain a Master's degree or higher. Physical and Mathematical Sciences respondents were much more likely than respondents in other colleges to say they planned to earn a doctoral degree (32%).

Close to one-fourth of respondents (23%) said they would not be seeking employment after graduation, most likely indicating their intention to attend graduate or professional school. Among those who will be seeking employment after graduation, respondents were much more likely to report that they will seek employment "anywhere" (32%) or "anywhere in the United States" (44%) than to report that they will seek work "in North Carolina only" (24%). Of respondents who will be seeking employment immediately after graduation, respondents in the Colleges of Engineering (40%), Textiles (39%), Humanities and Social Sciences (39%) were most likely to report that after graduation they will seek employment "anywhere." Respondents in the College of Education (63%) were most likely to report that they will seek employment "in North Carolina only."

Almost half of incoming students reported that they intend to work either on- or off-campus during their first year at NC State (48%), including about 8 percent who intend to work both on- and off-campus. Among respondents who plan to work off-campus during their first year (one-in-four students), about 60 percent said they would be working 10 hours or less per week, and another 32 percent said they would be working 11 to 20 hours per week. Similarly, among those working on-campus (one-in-three students), 60 percent said they would be working 10 hours or less per week, and another 34 percent said they would be working 11 to 20 hours per week. About half of the students who said that would be working both on- and off-campus reported that they would be working no more than 10 hours per week in each job.

From a list of 29 co-curricular activities and programs, respondents indicated greatest interest in study abroad/national student exchange (50%), organizations/clubs related to your major (46%), and intramural sports (44%). There were persistent gender differences in interest in participating in the various activities. In general, women expressed more interest than men in activities and programs related to community service, personal development, art, and diversity, while men expressed more interest than women in activities and programs related to athletics, such as intramural and club sports.

One-third of respondents indicated they would be interested in participating in one of the numerous religious organizations on campus, with the largest number expressing an interest in Campus Crusade for Christ (18%).