A Profile Of 1997 Entering First-Year Students: Educational Intent And Interests

This report presents educational intent and interests from the 1997 entering first-year students at NC State. It is based on their responses to the survey given to new students during summer and fall orientation. Educational intent and interests concern students' majors, course load, and extra-curricular interests.

Certainty Of College Major
Certainty of college major (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Very uncertain
5.8
6.7
5.1
3.8
5.9
6.7
Uncertain
25.5
26.8
24.6
20.1
26.1
26.4
Certain
42.7
40.2
44.4
44.2
42.2
47.2
Very certain
26.0
26.3
25.9
32.0
25.7
19.7



Primary Goal For Attending NC State
Primary goal for attending NC State (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Bach./certificate only
8.3
6.1
9.9
6.1
8.6
8.3
Bach. for school preparation
52.5
61.1
46.7
56.8
51.4
58.5
Bach. for career preparation
33.4
29.5
36.1
31.3
34.0
30.1
Improve for current profession
3.2
1.7
4.2
4.1
3.2
1.0
Courses for personal interest
0.7
0.2
1.1
0.6
0.7
0.5
Other
1.9
1.6
2.1
1.2
2.0
1.6
Gender: p < 0.01


Highest Level Of Education Planned
Highest level of education planned (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Certificate
2.2
0.5
3.3
0
2.6
0.5
Bachelors degree
27.1
22.4
30.2
18.9
28.7
19.6
Masters degree
43.3
41.3
44.6
45.6
42.8
45.9
Doctoral degree
14.3
14.9
14.0
26.0
12.5
18.0
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
5.3
10.3
2.0
1.8
5.9
3.6
Other professional degree
7.6
10.7
5.6
7.7
7.3
11.9
Do not intend to complete a degree
0.2
0.1
0.3
0
0.2
0.5
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Length Of Time Intended To Complete Bachelor's Degree
Length of time intended to complete bachelors degree (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Less than 4 years
3.8
3.5
4.0
2.9
3.7
6.2
4 years
65.4
70.6
62.0
57.5
66.2
69.6
4 1/2 years
11.9
10.8
12.7
16.1
11.7
7.7
5 years
14.4
11.6
16.3
19.5
14.0
10.8
5 1/2 years
1.2
0.9
1.4
2.3
1.0
2.1
6 or more years
0.9
0.8
1.0
1.1
0.9
0.5
Will not complete Bachelors
2.3
1.8
2.6
0.6
2.4
3.1
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


First Semester Enrollment Status
First semester enrollment status (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Less than 12 credit hours of classes
0.2
0.2
0.2
0.6
0.2
0.5
12-14 credit hours of classes
12.8
11.9
13.3
20.2
11.9
10.4
15 credit hours of classes or more
87.0
87.9
86.4
79.3
87.9
89.1
Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Reasons For Enrolling For Less Than 15 Credit Hours During First Semester
Will need to work (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
2.0
1.7
2.2
4.6
1.7
1.5
No
98.0
98.3
97.8
95.4
98.3
98.5
Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Course not available (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
6.4
5.8
6.8
3.7
6.6
7.7
No
93.6
94.2
93.2
96.3
93.4
92.3


Want to make better grades (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
6.2
6.4
6.0
10.0
5.7
5.6
No
93.8
93.6
94.0
90.0
94.3
94.4
Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Advisor recommended lighter load (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
2.6
2.3
2.8
6.6
2.1
3.1
No
97.4
97.7
97.2
93.4
97.9
96.9
Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Did not need more courses (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
0.5
0.4
0.5
0.3
0.5
0
No
99.5
99.6
99.5
99.7
99.5
100.0


Participating in internship, co-op, etc. (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
0.1
0.1
0.1
0.3
0.0
0
No
99.9
99.9
99.9
99.7
100.0
100.0


Combination of heavy courses (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
3.4
3.3
3.4
4.3
3.3
2.6
No
96.6
96.7
96.6
95.7
96.7
97.4


Family responsibilities (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
0.4
0.3
0.4
0.6
0.3
1.0
No
99.6
99.7
99.6
99.4
99.7
99.0


Other (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
1.9
1.8
2.0
2.3
2.0
1.0
No
98.1
98.2
98.0
97.7
98.0
99.0



Taking Majority Of Courses In Afternoon/Evening
Taking majority of courses in afternoon/evening (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
9.5
8.2
10.4
10.0
9.3
11.3
No
90.5
91.8
89.6
90.0
90.7
88.7



Employment Plans During First Semester
Employment during first semester (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Do not plan to work
68.2
68.9
67.7
68.7
68.7
61.2
Less than 20 hrs/wk
26.6
26.9
26.5
24.4
26.4
33.1
20 or more hrs/wk
5.2
4.3
5.8
6.8
4.9
5.6



Foreign Language Planned To Study Beyond Requirement
Foreign language planned to study beyond requirement (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Spanish
59.3
59.2
59.4
69.9
58.5
51.0
French
17.8
21.1
15.3
18.6
17.9
15.2
German
7.3
7.2
7.4
1.7
8.2
6.6
Japanese
4.9
2.7
6.5
3.8
4.7
8.6
Chinese
1.1
0.9
1.3
0.4
0.5
9.3
Russian
0.8
0.8
0.9
0.4
1.0
0
Other
8.7
8.1
9.2
5.1
9.2
9.3
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Interest In NC State Co-Curricular Programs/Activities
Student Government (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
18.1
23.5
14.5
27.1
16.3
25.6
No
81.9
76.5
85.5
72.9
83.7
74.4
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Student publications/media (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
13.4
16.4
11.4
11.1
13.2
20.0
No
86.6
83.6
88.6
88.9
86.8
80.0
Gender: p < 0.01


Social Fraternity/Sorority (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
32.5
39.8
27.6
39.0
32.2
23.6
No
67.5
60.2
72.4
61.0
67.8
76.4
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Volunteer Services (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
26.1
42.6
15.1
28.5
25.1
35.4
No
73.9
57.4
84.9
71.5
74.9
64.6
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Co-op program (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
34.9
31.1
37.4
45.9
32.9
42.1
No
65.1
68.9
62.6
54.1
67.1
57.9
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Student Leadership Development Program (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
12.5
17.5
9.2
18.8
11.3
17.4
No
87.5
82.5
90.8
81.2
88.7
82.6
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Student Judicial Board (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
7.1
9.0
5.9
16.8
5.7
8.7
No
92.9
91.0
94.1
83.2
94.3
91.3
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Music Minor, bands, choirs, etc. (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
11.6
14.5
9.7
16.2
11.2
8.7
No
88.4
85.5
90.3
83.8
88.8
91.3
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Fitness (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
30.7
53.6
15.4
34.5
30.6
24.6
No
69.3
46.4
84.6
65.5
69.4
75.4
Gender: p < 0.01


Indoor recreation (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
17.8
15.6
19.3
15.7
18.2
17.4
No
82.2
84.4
80.7
84.3
81.8
82.6
Gender: p < 0.01


Intramurals (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
54.6
37.6
65.9
45.3
56.4
47.2
No
45.4
62.4
34.1
54.7
43.6
52.8
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Club sports (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
28.3
20.1
33.8
16.8
29.6
32.3
No
71.7
79.9
66.2
83.2
70.4
67.7
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Informal recreation (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
14.8
9.4
18.4
6.0
15.9
15.9
No
85.2
90.6
81.6
94.0
84.1
84.1
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Outdoor recreation (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
37.6
35.0
39.4
7.7
42.6
25.6
No
62.4
65.0
60.6
92.3
57.4
74.4
Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Healthy lifestyles issues (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
7.7
12.9
4.2
11.7
6.8
12.3
No
92.3
87.1
95.8
88.3
93.2
87.7
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Student dance companies (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
5.1
11.3
0.9
9.1
4.4
6.7
No
94.9
88.7
99.1
90.9
95.6
93.3
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


ROTC (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
4.5
2.6
5.8
8.3
3.9
6.2
No
95.5
97.4
94.2
91.7
96.1
93.8
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Study abroad/National Student Exchange (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
26.6
38.4
18.8
24.5
26.7
29.2
No
73.4
61.6
81.2
75.5
73.3
70.8
Gender: p < 0.01


Union Activities Board (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
8.2
11.6
6.0
33.9
4.3
15.4
No
91.8
88.4
94.0
66.1
95.7
84.6
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Crafts Center program/classes (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
5.7
10.7
2.3
4.8
5.7
7.2
No
94.3
89.3
97.7
95.2
94.3
92.8
Gender: p < 0.01


Theater participant as audience (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
20.0
28.4
14.4
14.5
20.4
23.6
No
80.0
71.6
85.6
85.5
79.6
76.4
Gender: p < 0.01


Theater participant as performer (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
7.9
10.9
5.9
8.8
7.8
7.2
No
92.1
89.1
94.1
91.2
92.2
92.8
Gender: p < 0.01


Attending art exhibitions (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
11.8
17.4
8.1
7.1
12.3
13.8
No
88.2
82.6
91.9
92.9
87.7
86.2
Gender: p < 0.01


Performing Arts selection/booking (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
11.2
16.8
7.5
10.3
11.0
15.9
No
88.8
83.2
92.5
89.7
89.0
84.1
Gender: p < 0.01


Planning programs for children and families (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
5.3
10.8
1.7
11.7
4.4
6.2
No
94.7
89.2
98.3
88.3
95.6
93.8
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01


Gender issues (%)
All
Female
Male
Af. Am.
White
Other
Yes
4.5
8.5
1.9
12.5
3.2
8.2
No
95.5
91.5
98.1
87.5
96.8
91.8
Gender: p < 0.01; Ethnicity: p < 0.01