North Carolina State University
2011 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 "2011 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 / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 13.3% | 15.8% | 10.8% | 7.9% | 5.3% | 6.6% | 15.1% | 9.7% |
| Two | 20.1% | 23.4% | 16.9% | 14.3% | 11.6% | 21.5% | 21.4% | 17.7% |
| Three | 22.5% | 22.2% | 22.7% | 22.9% | 17.9% | 19.0% | 23.2% | 21.5% |
| Four | 19.3% | 18.1% | 20.4% | 24.3% | 24.6% | 24.8% | 17.9% | 22.0% |
| Five or more | 24.9% | 20.5% | 29.2% | 30.7% | 40.6% | 28.1% | 22.5% | 29.0% |
| Total (N) | 2,743 | 1,339 | 1,404 | 140 | 207 | 121 | 2,089 | 186 |
| Call from faculty/staff | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 15.9% | 15.6% | 16.2% | 15.1% | 32.7% | 38.8% | 13.0% | 17.0% |
| No | 58.9% | 57.0% | 60.7% | 59.0% | 39.2% | 30.2% | 62.5% | 58.2% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 25.2% | 27.4% | 23.1% | 25.9% | 28.1% | 31.0% | 24.6% | 24.7% |
| Total (N) | 2,696 | 1,322 | 1,374 | 139 | 199 | 116 | 2,060 | 182 |
| Call from current student | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 24.2% | 23.2% | 25.1% | 18.5% | 45.2% | 55.5% | 20.0% | 31.7% |
| No | 57.9% | 58.3% | 57.5% | 60.0% | 40.6% | 25.2% | 61.9% | 51.1% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 17.9% | 18.5% | 17.3% | 21.5% | 14.2% | 19.3% | 18.0% | 17.2% |
| Total (N) | 2,694 | 1,316 | 1,378 | 135 | 197 | 119 | 2,057 | 186 |
| Call from graduate of NC State | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 8.8% | 10.2% | 7.4% | 9.0% | 13.5% | 11.0% | 8.2% | 8.8% |
| No | 67.9% | 66.3% | 69.5% | 67.9% | 54.7% | 45.9% | 70.4% | 67.4% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 23.3% | 23.5% | 23.0% | 23.1% | 31.8% | 43.1% | 21.4% | 23.8% |
| Total (N) | 2,662 | 1,304 | 1,358 | 134 | 192 | 109 | 2,046 | 181 |
| Letter from outside Admissions Office | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 53.6% | 52.2% | 54.9% | 52.2% | 64.4% | 58.7% | 52.5% | 51.4% |
| No | 17.9% | 18.7% | 17.1% | 17.4% | 14.1% | 11.6% | 18.7% | 17.5% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 28.5% | 29.1% | 28.0% | 30.4% | 21.5% | 29.8% | 28.8% | 31.1% |
| Total (N) | 2,724 | 1,331 | 1,393 | 138 | 205 | 121 | 2,077 | 183 |
| 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 / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|
| Academic reputation | 4.28 | 4.33 | 4.23 | 4.15 | 4.45 | 4.29 | 4.27 | 4.28 |
| Availability of program | 4.07 | 4.07 | 4.08 | 4.04 | 4.00 | 4.03 | 4.09 | 4.07 |
| Level of support for my intended major | 4.07 | 4.15 | 4.00 | 3.94 | 4.02 | 3.97 | 4.08 | 4.15 |
| Facilities and resources available | 3.95 | 3.97 | 3.92 | 3.85 | 4.07 | 3.97 | 3.94 | 3.96 |
| Location | 3.88 | 3.85 | 3.91 | 4.02 | 3.91 | 3.83 | 3.87 | 3.93 |
| Acceptance into the First Year College Program | 3.85 | 3.66 | 4.02 | 3.85 | 3.51 | 3.69 | 3.95 | 3.59 |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | 3.71 | 3.62 | 3.80 | 3.50 | 4.03 | 3.78 | 3.70 | 3.56 |
| Cost | 3.54 | 3.58 | 3.50 | 3.93 | 3.37 | 3.40 | 3.53 | 3.65 |
| Recommended by a friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc. | 3.51 | 3.47 | 3.54 | 3.50 | 3.41 | 3.56 | 3.53 | 3.30 |
| Contact with a current student | 3.41 | 3.33 | 3.49 | 3.44 | 3.40 | 3.29 | 3.43 | 3.34 |
| Extracurricular opportunities | 3.32 | 3.29 | 3.35 | 3.33 | 3.50 | 3.41 | 3.30 | 3.30 |
| Size | 3.28 | 3.19 | 3.37 | 3.37 | 3.48 | 3.30 | 3.26 | 3.21 |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | 3.24 | 3.19 | 3.30 | 3.73 | 3.95 | 3.42 | 3.12 | 3.31 |
| Carmichael Complex Recreational facilities (e.g., gym, pool, fitness center, fields) | 3.16 | 3.20 | 3.12 | 3.28 | 3.34 | 3.23 | 3.14 | 3.09 |
| Campus Recreation programs | 3.11 | 3.13 | 3.09 | 3.17 | 3.38 | 3.13 | 3.08 | 3.09 |
| Contact with a graduate | 3.05 | 3.08 | 3.02 | 3.22 | 3.08 | 2.76 | 3.08 | 2.75 |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | 2.81 | 2.75 | 2.87 | 2.98 | 3.04 | 2.82 | 2.77 | 2.84 |
| Pack Promise Program | 2.59 | 2.52 | 2.66 | 2.90 | 3.42 | 2.87 | 2.45 | 2.72 |
| Attendance at a College Fair | 2.57 | 2.56 | 2.58 | 2.82 | 3.15 | 2.62 | 2.49 | 2.43 |
| Publications from NC State | 2.55 | 2.48 | 2.62 | 2.64 | 3.04 | 2.51 | 2.50 | 2.57 |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | 2.46 | 2.48 | 2.44 | 2.89 | 2.48 | 2.46 | 2.41 | 2.60 |
| Letter from someone other than Admissions Office | 2.46 | 2.41 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.94 | 2.52 | 2.39 | 2.40 |
| Other | 4.11 | 4.05 | 4.17 | 4.00 | 3.88 | 4.00 | 4.12 | 4.43 |
Back to Top Q Most influential factor in decision to attend NC State
| Most influential factor | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic reputation | 23.0% | 25.2% | 20.8% | 19.4% | 30.9% | 23.1% | 21.8% | 29.7% |
| Level of support for my intended major | 19.1% | 21.5% | 16.8% | 15.8% | 13.5% | 9.9% | 20.5% | 17.8% |
| Availability of program | 12.9% | 12.5% | 13.2% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 14.0% | 13.6% | 10.3% |
| Cost | 8.0% | 8.6% | 7.5% | 18.7% | 6.3% | 9.9% | 7.4% | 7.6% |
| Location | 7.9% | 6.9% | 8.9% | 10.1% | 6.8% | 6.6% | 8.0% | 7.6% |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | 6.2% | 5.6% | 6.7% | 5.0% | 8.2% | 7.4% | 6.0% | 5.9% |
| Recommended by a friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc. | 4.2% | 4.1% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 1.4% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 1.6% |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | 4.1% | 2.4% | 5.8% | 1.4% | 4.8% | 8.3% | 4.0% | 3.8% |
| Contact with a current student | 2.4% | 1.6% | 3.2% | 2.2% | 1.4% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 3.2% |
| Facilities and resources available | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 1.4% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 1.9% | 2.7% |
| Acceptance into the First Year College Program | 1.9% | 1.3% | 2.6% | 1.4% | 0.5% | 4.1% | 2.1% | 1.1% |
| Extracurricular opportunities | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 2.2% | 2.9% | 1.7% | 1.0% | 1.6% |
| Contact with a graduate | 1.1% | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.7% | . | . | 1.4% | . |
| Size | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 0.5% | . | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Pack Promise Program | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | . | 6.3% | 0.8% | 0.2% | 1.1% |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | 0.5% | 0.7% | 0.3% | 3.6% | 1.9% | 0.8% | 0.1% | . |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.2% | . | 0.5% | . | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Carmichael Complex Recreational facilities (e.g., gym, pool, fitness center, fields) | 0.2% | 0.4% | 0.1% | . | . | . | 0.3% | . |
| Letter from someone other than Admissions Office | 0.1% | 0.1% | . | 0.7% | . | . | 0.0% | . |
| Attendance at a College Fair | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | . | 0.5% | . | 0.0% | . |
| Publications from NC State | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | . | 0.5% | . | 0.0% | 0.5% |
| Campus Recreation programs | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | . | . | . | 0.1% | . |
| Other | 2.9% | 3.0% | 2.7% | 1.4% | 2.9% | 2.5% | 3.0% | 2.7% |
| Total (N) | 2,736 | 1,337 | 1,399 | 139 | 207 | 121 | 2,084 | 185 |
| Was NC State first choice of colleges to attend | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| It was my only choice | 11.1% | 13.8% | 8.5% | 7.1% | 4.8% | 8.3% | 12.7% | 4.8% |
| Yes - it was my first choice | 57.3% | 57.7% | 57.0% | 38.6% | 48.8% | 53.3% | 60.2% | 51.9% |
| No - it was my second choice | 24.3% | 22.6% | 25.9% | 37.1% | 34.3% | 27.5% | 21.4% | 33.7% |
| No - it was my third choice or below | 7.3% | 5.8% | 8.6% | 17.1% | 12.1% | 10.8% | 5.7% | 9.6% |
| Total (N) | 2,738 | 1,339 | 1,399 | 140 | 207 | 120 | 2,084 | 187 |
| Satisfaction with university admissions process | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Rating | 3.55 | 3.51 | 3.59 | 3.51 | 3.56 | 3.60 | 3.56 | 3.47 |
| 4: Very satisfied | 59.2% | 55.3% | 62.8% | 56.4% | 60.4% | 65.0% | 59.4% | 53.5% |
| 3: Moderately satisfied | 37.3% | 40.5% | 34.2% | 38.6% | 36.2% | 30.8% | 37.3% | 41.6% |
| 2: Moderately dissatisfied | 3.1% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 5.0% | 2.4% | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.2% |
| 1: Very dissatisfied | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | . | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.3% | 1.6% |
| Total (N) | 2,731 | 1,334 | 1,397 | 140 | 207 | 120 | 2,079 | 185 |
| Satisfaction with departmental admissions process | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Rating | 3.56 | 3.52 | 3.60 | 3.50 | 3.54 | 3.52 | 3.58 | 3.44 |
| 4: Very satisfied | 60.4% | 56.8% | 63.8% | 55.0% | 59.1% | 59.8% | 61.8% | 50.3% |
| 3: Moderately satisfied | 35.8% | 38.9% | 32.8% | 41.2% | 37.4% | 34.2% | 34.5% | 44.6% |
| 2: Moderately dissatisfied | 3.2% | 3.6% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 2.0% | 4.3% | 3.2% | 3.4% |
| 1: Very dissatisfied | 0.7% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 1.7% |
| Total (N) | 2,626 | 1,289 | 1,337 | 131 | 198 | 117 | 2,003 | 177 |
| Virtual Advising Center website rating | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4: Excellent | 18.4% | 17.2% | 19.5% | 13.6% | 21.7% | 24.0% | 18.0% | 18.7% |
| 3: Good | 41.4% | 43.0% | 39.8% | 48.6% | 37.7% | 38.8% | 41.8% | 37.4% |
| 2: Fair | 9.9% | 9.5% | 10.4% | 10.7% | 9.2% | 6.6% | 10.3% | 8.6% |
| 1: Poor | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.7% | . | 0.5% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 3.7% |
| Never used | 28.9% | 29.1% | 28.6% | 27.1% | 30.9% | 29.8% | 28.5% | 31.6% |
| Total (N) | 2,745 | 1,343 | 1,402 | 140 | 207 | 121 | 2,090 | 187 |
| Virtual Advising Center website rating (among those who have used the website) | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4: Excellent | 25.8% | 24.3% | 27.3% | 18.6% | 31.5% | 34.1% | 25.2% | 27.3% |
| 3: Good | 58.2% | 60.7% | 55.7% | 66.7% | 54.5% | 55.3% | 58.4% | 54.7% |
| 2: Fair | 14.0% | 13.3% | 14.6% | 14.7% | 13.3% | 9.4% | 14.4% | 12.5% |
| 1: Poor | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.4% | . | 0.7% | 1.2% | 2.1% | 5.5% |
| Total (N) | 1,953 | 952 | 1,001 | 102 | 143 | 85 | 1,495 | 128 |
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 2012
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