North Carolina State University
2012 Incoming Freshmen 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 "2012 Incoming Freshmen 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
| NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 12.2% | 15.7% | 9.3% | 7.0% | 8.9% | 11.0% | 13.1% | 12.4% |
| Two | 18.8% | 21.6% | 16.4% | 13.2% | 12.8% | 15.3% | 20.5% | 14.8% |
| Three | 20.9% | 20.0% | 21.6% | 20.9% | 17.3% | 16.9% | 22.0% | 16.6% |
| Four | 18.5% | 16.8% | 19.9% | 17.8% | 20.7% | 27.1% | 17.6% | 19.5% |
| Five or more | 29.6% | 25.9% | 32.8% | 41.1% | 40.2% | 29.7% | 26.8% | 36.7% |
| Total (N) | 2,239 | 1,028 | 1,211 | 129 | 179 | 118 | 1,644 | 169 |
| Call from faculty/staff | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 12.9% | 13.8% | 12.1% | 10.9% | 22.5% | 17.8% | 11.4% | 15.1% |
| No | 62.4% | 61.8% | 63.0% | 69.5% | 53.8% | 54.2% | 63.6% | 60.2% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 24.7% | 24.4% | 25.0% | 19.5% | 23.7% | 28.0% | 25.0% | 24.7% |
| Total (N) | 2,206 | 1,012 | 1,194 | 128 | 173 | 118 | 1,621 | 166 |
| Call from current student | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 22.6% | 20.8% | 24.2% | 18.0% | 38.3% | 33.3% | 19.7% | 31.5% |
| No | 59.1% | 61.5% | 57.1% | 68.8% | 44.6% | 46.2% | 61.1% | 56.4% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 18.3% | 17.7% | 18.7% | 13.3% | 17.1% | 20.5% | 19.2% | 12.1% |
| Total (N) | 2,213 | 1,017 | 1,196 | 128 | 175 | 117 | 1,628 | 165 |
| Call from graduate of NC State | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 6.2% | 6.8% | 5.6% | 3.2% | 10.7% | 1.7% | 6.4% | 5.0% |
| No | 71.1% | 70.7% | 71.4% | 82.5% | 63.9% | 64.7% | 71.3% | 72.7% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 22.7% | 22.4% | 23.0% | 14.3% | 25.4% | 33.6% | 22.4% | 22.4% |
| Total (N) | 2,177 | 998 | 1,179 | 126 | 169 | 116 | 1,605 | 161 |
| Letter from outside Admissions Office | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | 50.8% | 48.4% | 52.9% | 51.2% | 57.6% | 59.0% | 49.1% | 54.5% |
| No | 20.6% | 22.4% | 19.1% | 17.1% | 18.1% | 16.2% | 21.4% | 21.0% |
| Don't know/Don't remember | 28.6% | 29.2% | 28.0% | 31.8% | 24.3% | 24.8% | 29.5% | 24.6% |
| Total (N) | 2,225 | 1,020 | 1,205 | 129 | 177 | 117 | 1,635 | 167 |
| 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 | 4.30 | 4.29 | 4.31 | 4.19 | 4.49 | 4.38 | 4.29 | 4.22 |
| Level of support for my intended major | 4.12 | 4.18 | 4.07 | 4.08 | 4.17 | 4.17 | 4.13 | 3.97 |
| Availability of program | 4.09 | 4.03 | 4.15 | 4.05 | 4.17 | 4.11 | 4.10 | 3.98 |
| Facilities and resources available | 3.99 | 3.97 | 4.01 | 3.93 | 4.05 | 4.01 | 4.00 | 3.84 |
| Location | 3.89 | 3.85 | 3.93 | 3.89 | 4.04 | 3.93 | 3.88 | 3.84 |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | 3.79 | 3.61 | 3.93 | 3.56 | 3.95 | 3.96 | 3.79 | 3.57 |
| Acceptance into the First Year College Program | 3.76 | 3.55 | 3.94 | 3.53 | 3.78 | 3.82 | 3.79 | 3.50 |
| Cost | 3.59 | 3.61 | 3.56 | 3.91 | 3.49 | 3.50 | 3.57 | 3.59 |
| Recommended by a friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc. | 3.57 | 3.57 | 3.57 | 3.58 | 3.49 | 3.61 | 3.59 | 3.48 |
| Contact with a current student | 3.45 | 3.41 | 3.48 | 3.65 | 3.49 | 3.44 | 3.43 | 3.37 |
| Extracurricular opportunities | 3.36 | 3.25 | 3.44 | 3.34 | 3.55 | 3.50 | 3.33 | 3.37 |
| Size | 3.27 | 3.15 | 3.37 | 3.10 | 3.34 | 3.27 | 3.29 | 3.09 |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | 3.24 | 3.21 | 3.26 | 3.56 | 3.77 | 3.48 | 3.13 | 3.28 |
| Carmichael Complex Recreational facilities (e.g., gym, pool, fitness center, fields) | 3.18 | 3.23 | 3.14 | 3.15 | 3.26 | 3.30 | 3.15 | 3.33 |
| Campus Recreation programs | 3.10 | 3.08 | 3.13 | 3.00 | 3.27 | 3.21 | 3.07 | 3.28 |
| Contact with a graduate | 3.08 | 3.04 | 3.11 | 2.87 | 3.15 | 2.88 | 3.12 | 2.85 |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | 2.83 | 2.75 | 2.90 | 2.70 | 3.10 | 2.75 | 2.79 | 3.09 |
| Attendance at a College Fair | 2.56 | 2.47 | 2.64 | 2.50 | 3.01 | 2.78 | 2.48 | 2.71 |
| Publications from NC State | 2.54 | 2.43 | 2.63 | 2.57 | 2.89 | 2.85 | 2.45 | 2.81 |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | 2.53 | 2.54 | 2.52 | 2.81 | 2.55 | 2.59 | 2.48 | 2.72 |
| Pack Promise Program | 2.52 | 2.43 | 2.61 | 2.96 | 3.11 | 2.83 | 2.37 | 2.77 |
| Letter from someone other than Admissions Office | 2.36 | 2.27 | 2.44 | 2.25 | 2.66 | 2.45 | 2.31 | 2.50 |
| Other | 4.25 | 4.14 | 4.35 | 4.36 | 4.20 | 4.44 | 4.26 | 4.00 |
Back to Top Q Most influential factor in decision to attend NC State
| NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academic reputation | 23.3% | 26.6% | 20.6% | 20.5% | 29.1% | 25.4% | 22.5% | 25.4% |
| Level of support for my intended major | 18.6% | 21.4% | 16.3% | 21.3% | 15.1% | 17.8% | 19.4% | 13.0% |
| Availability of program | 12.7% | 11.3% | 13.8% | 9.4% | 7.8% | 11.9% | 13.4% | 14.2% |
| Cost | 8.3% | 8.9% | 7.9% | 12.6% | 5.6% | 8.5% | 8.4% | 7.1% |
| Location | 7.1% | 5.1% | 8.8% | 7.9% | 7.3% | 6.8% | 6.9% | 8.3% |
| Scholarships/financial aid available | 6.6% | 6.1% | 7.1% | 9.4% | 10.1% | 9.3% | 5.3% | 11.8% |
| Recommended by a friend, family member, teacher, counselor, etc. | 4.8% | 5.2% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 2.8% | 3.4% | 5.0% | 5.9% |
| Campus visit prior to orientation | 4.7% | 2.6% | 6.4% | 0.8% | 6.7% | 3.4% | 4.9% | 3.6% |
| Facilities and resources available | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 2.5% | 1.2% |
| Contact with a current student | 1.9% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 4.2% | 1.8% | 2.4% |
| Acceptance into the First Year College Program | 1.7% | 1.0% | 2.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | . | 2.0% | . |
| Contact with a graduate | 1.4% | 1.8% | 1.2% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 1.6% | 0.6% |
| Pack Promise Program | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 2.4% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 0.7% | . |
| Contact with a faculty or staff member | 0.8% | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.6% | 1.1% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Extracurricular opportunities | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.6% |
| Size | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.8% | . | 1.1% | 1.7% | 0.5% | 1.8% |
| Number of hours transferred/credited | 0.5% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 0.6% | . | 0.4% | 1.2% |
| Letter from someone other than Admissions Office | 0.1% | . | 0.2% | . | . | . | 0.1% | . |
| Campus Recreation programs | 0.1% | . | 0.2% | . | . | . | 0.1% | 0.6% |
| Attendance at a College Fair | 0.0% | . | 0.1% | . | 0.6% | . | . | . |
| Carmichael Complex Recreational facilities (e.g., gym, pool, fitness center, fields) | 0.0% | 0.1% | . | . | . | . | 0.1% | . |
| Other | 2.7% | 3.0% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.9% | 1.8% |
| Total (N) | 2,230 | 1,024 | 1,206 | 127 | 179 | 118 | 1,637 | 169 |
| 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 | 10.2% | 13.0% | 7.8% | 6.3% | 6.7% | 7.6% | 11.1% | 8.9% |
| Yes - it was my first choice | 57.1% | 55.4% | 58.6% | 43.0% | 53.9% | 55.1% | 58.5% | 58.6% |
| No - it was my second choice | 25.3% | 23.7% | 26.7% | 33.6% | 30.3% | 32.2% | 23.8% | 23.7% |
| No - it was my third choice or below | 7.4% | 8.0% | 6.9% | 17.2% | 9.0% | 5.1% | 6.5% | 8.9% |
| Total (N) | 2,235 | 1,026 | 1,209 | 128 | 178 | 118 | 1,642 | 169 |
| Satisfaction with university admissions process | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Rating | 3.52 | 3.47 | 3.56 | 3.47 | 3.63 | 3.48 | 3.52 | 3.46 |
| 4: Very satisfied | 57.8% | 54.1% | 60.8% | 51.9% | 69.3% | 55.9% | 57.6% | 52.7% |
| 3: Moderately satisfied | 37.6% | 40.1% | 35.5% | 43.4% | 25.1% | 39.0% | 37.9% | 42.6% |
| 2: Moderately dissatisfied | 3.5% | 4.6% | 2.6% | 4.7% | 4.5% | 2.5% | 3.4% | 3.0% |
| 1: Very dissatisfied | 1.1% | 1.2% | 1.1% | . | 1.1% | 2.5% | 1.0% | 1.8% |
| Total (N) | 2,235 | 1,025 | 1,210 | 129 | 179 | 118 | 1,640 | 169 |
| Satisfaction with departmental admissions process | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean Rating | 3.54 | 3.46 | 3.60 | 3.44 | 3.60 | 3.47 | 3.55 | 3.43 |
| 4: Very satisfied | 59.2% | 54.3% | 63.4% | 50.8% | 67.5% | 54.4% | 60.1% | 52.2% |
| 3: Moderately satisfied | 36.1% | 39.4% | 33.4% | 43.0% | 25.9% | 40.4% | 35.8% | 41.5% |
| 2: Moderately dissatisfied | 3.5% | 4.8% | 2.5% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 3.5% | 3.2% | 3.8% |
| 1: Very dissatisfied | 1.1% | 1.5% | 0.7% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 2.5% |
| Total (N) | 2,142 | 975 | 1,167 | 128 | 166 | 114 | 1,575 | 159 |
| Virtual Advising Center website rating | NCSU | Men | Women | Asian Amer |
Black / Afr Amer |
Hispanic |
White |
Other / Unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4: Excellent | 16.5% | 13.3% | 19.2% | 15.5% | 22.5% | 24.6% | 14.7% | 22.6% |
| 3: Good | 38.2% | 39.9% | 36.8% | 40.3% | 34.3% | 34.7% | 38.7% | 38.7% |
| 2: Fair | 9.5% | 10.7% | 8.5% | 13.2% | 5.6% | 3.4% | 10.1% | 9.5% |
| 1: Poor | 1.6% | 1.2% | 2.0% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 3.4% | 1.7% | 0.6% |
| Never used | 34.2% | 35.0% | 33.5% | 30.2% | 36.5% | 33.9% | 34.9% | 28.6% |
| Total (N) | 2,228 | 1,023 | 1,205 | 129 | 178 | 118 | 1,635 | 168 |
| 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 | 25.0% | 20.5% | 28.8% | 22.2% | 35.4% | 37.2% | 22.5% | 31.7% |
| 3: Good | 58.0% | 61.4% | 55.3% | 57.8% | 54.0% | 52.6% | 59.3% | 54.2% |
| 2: Fair | 14.5% | 16.4% | 12.9% | 18.9% | 8.8% | 5.1% | 15.5% | 13.3% |
| 1: Poor | 2.5% | 1.8% | 3.0% | 1.1% | 1.8% | 5.1% | 2.6% | 0.8% |
| Total (N) | 1,466 | 665 | 801 | 90 | 113 | 78 | 1,065 | 120 |
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: October 2012
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