• NC State conducted its annual survey of graduating seniors during the fall 2001 and spring 2002 semesters, offering both web and paper versions of the survey. Almost 60 percent (58.9%) of seniors who graduated in AY01-02 completed the survey . The margin of error for the survey is +0.9 at the 95% confidence interval.
• With few exceptions, results are similar to those for last year's Graduating Senior Survey.
• Almost 90 percent (88.0) of respondents said they would recommend NC State to a friend. While more than three-fourths (77.4%) of all respondents said they would choose NC State again if they could start over, African Americans were more than twice as likely as whites to say they would not do so (18.8% vs. 7.3%).
• Fifty-five percent of African American respondents agreed that NC State has visible leadership from the Chancellor and other adminstrators to foster diversity on campus, compared to three-fourths (74.7%) of non-African American minorities and 82 percent of whites. About two-thirds (64.7%) of African American respondents agreed that NC State is committed to helping minorities succeed, compared to 86 percent of non-African American minorities and 96.1 percent of whites.
• Nearly half of students (45.8%) who completed an off-campus degree program said it was "not likely" or that they would "probably not" have obtained their degrees at a UNC campus if the off-campus program had not been available.
• Large majorities of respondents gave positive ratings to the overall education they received at NC State, the overall quality of instruction, and the quality of instruction in their major. A majority also rated the intellectual environment on campus as "strong" (69.0%) or "very strong" (20.7%). Faculty got highest ratings for setting high expectations for learning, and lowest ratings for respecting diverse talents and ways of learning.
• Respondents generally gave positive ratings to various academic services outside the classroom. Technology services, library services, and career-related services received the highest overall ratings, while research support received the lowest overall rating.
• On average, respondents gave highest ratings to NC State's contribution to enhancing analytic skills, ability to critically analyze ideas and information, ability to plan and carry out projects independently, and developing computer skills. Lower average ratings were given to advancing appreciation of the arts, exercising public responsibility and community service, commitment to personal health and fitness, appreciating racial equity, and appreciating gender equity.
• Almost half of respondents had a co-op, internship, practicum or field experience while at NC State. Almost one-third (31.2%) of those with such experience said they received a job offer from their employer. This is down from the AY00-01 Graduating Senior Survey, when 44 percent of those with a co-op, internship, or similar experience reported being offered a job from their employer.
• Eighty percent of respondents were employed during their graduation year. Among employed respondents, African Americans were more likely than non-African American minorities and whites to work 20 or more hours per week (60.4%, 39.6% and 42.9% respectively).
• The majority of respondents' primary goal in attending NC State was either to prepare for a career (43.1%) or to prepare for graduate or professional school (35.4%). 71 percent of all respondents said they "fully accomplished" their goal.

For more information on the 2001-2002 Graduating Senior Survey contact:
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