North Carolina State University
2006-2007 Graduating Senior Survey:
Gender and Racial/Ethnic Comparisons of
Student Goals and Intentions

This document reports survey data on gender and racial/ethnic differences in respondents' assessment of student goals and intentions while attending NC State. Survey results for all respondents are provided in "2006-2007 Graduating Senior Survey: All Respondents." For information about the survey and analysis methods, see "2006-2007 Graduating Senior Survey: Introduction, Methods, and Student Demographic Profile."

Table of Contents:
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Goals and Objectives | Post-Graduate Plans | Time to Graduate | Withdrawal/Transfer from NC State

Goals and Objectives

Q Primary Goal/Objective for attending NC State

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
Bach. deg./certificate only	%	18.5	21.5	15.1	14.8	19.0	16.1
Prep. for grad/prof school	%	37.6	35.0	40.5	46.6	36.7	38.0
Prep. for new career/profession	%	41.8	40.9	42.8	34.4	42.5	41.7
Improve for current profession	%	0.9	1.0	0.8	1.6	0.6	3.1
Courses for personal interest	%	0.4	0.6	0.2	0.0	0.4	0.5
Other	%	0.8	1.0	0.6	2.6	0.7	0.5
Total	N	2387	1256	1131	189	2006	192

Q Accomplishment of Goal/Objective

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
Fully accomplished	%	75.4	76.8	73.8	65.6	77.1	67.2
Partially accomplished	%	24.0	22.5	25.7	33.9	22.4	31.8
Not accomplished	%	0.6	0.7	0.4	0.5	0.5	1.0
Total	N	2388	1257	1131	189	2007	192

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Q Likelihood obtain degree at UNC campus (among those in off-campus degree programs)

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
	Mean	2.46	2.43	2.51	2.47	2.42	2.81
4: Very likely	%	21.6	19.4	24.2	17.5	21.4	27.2
3: Probably	%	31.4	32.9	29.6	38.8	29.4	40.4
2: Probably not	%	18.7	18.5	19.0	16.5	19.0	18.4
1: Not likely	%	28.3	29.2	27.3	27.2	30.2	14.0
Total	N	1,134	617	517	103	917	114

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Post-Graduate Plans

Q Plans Following Graduation

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
Have accepted a job	%	15.8	20.9	10.2	10.1	16.0	19.0
Continuing in current position	%	2.6	2.8	2.4	3.2	2.6	2.6
Graduate/prof. school full-time	%	20.7	19.5	22.1	26.1	20.3	20.1
G/P school part-time & work part-time	%	4.5	3.8	5.3	8.0	4.1	5.3
Take more undergrad courses	%	1.6	1.6	1.7	2.7	1.6	1.6
Still seeking employment	%	30.5	27.5	33.8	25.5	31.0	30.2
Not seeking empl./not planning school	%	4.3	4.2	4.5	4.3	4.1	6.3
Entering military service	%	1.4	2.5	0.3	1.6	1.4	1.6
Don't know yet	%	13.2	12.5	14.0	14.4	13.3	11.6
Other	%	5.3	4.7	5.9	4.3	5.7	1.6
Total	N	2374	1251	1123	188	1997	189

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Time to Graduate

Q Taken more than 4 years to graduate

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
Taken longer than 4 yrs to graduate	%	49.6%	57.8%	40.5%	52.9%	48.5%	57.3%
Total	N	2384	1257	1127	189	2003	192

Q Reasons for taking more than 4 years to graduate

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
Wanted/advised lighter courseload	%	21.8%	23.3%	19.5%	18.0%	22.2%	21.8%
Could not get classes needed	%	17.9%	18.3%	17.1%	15.0%	18.4%	15.5%
Changed majors	%	37.9%	38.7%	36.6%	28.0%	40.0%	28.2%
Lost credits when transferred	%	23.3%	19.1%	29.8%	8.0%	24.2%	29.1%
Co-op/intern/practicum/teach/etc	%	17.0%	19.7%	12.7%	14.0%	16.8%	21.8%
Financial reasons	%	10.8%	9.1%	13.6%	10.0%	10.6%	13.6%
Part-time for personal reasons (e.g., medical, family, etc.)	%	10.8%	9.9%	12.3%	7.0%	10.9%	13.6%
Took semester or more off for personal reasons	%	16.6%	14.9%	19.3%	14.0%	17.0%	15.5%
Double major/minor	%	19.9%	19.8%	20.0%	23.0%	19.1%	23.6%
Study abroad	%	4.7%	3.3%	7.0%	6.0%	4.6%	4.5%
Hours spent working	%	22.6%	22.5%	22.8%	23.0%	22.8%	20.0%
Other reasons	%	10.8%	10.9%	10.7%	16.0%	10.4%	10.0%
Total	N	1182	726	456	100	972	110

Note: Respondents could provide more than one reason.
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Withdrawal/Transfer from NCSU

Q Ever consider withdrawal/transfer from NCSU

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
No	%	78.2	80.0	76.2	67.7	79.4	76.7
Yes, not seriously	%	10.8	9.8	11.8	15.3	10.3	10.9
Yes, seriously	%	8.4	7.6	9.4	14.8	7.6	10.9
Yes-left & returned	%	2.6	2.6	2.6	2.1	2.7	1.6
Total	N	2380	1253	1127	189	1998	193

Q Reasons for staying or returning to NC State (among those who considered leaving/those who left and returned)

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
Program at NCSU	%	25.7%	24.4%	26.9%	21.3%	26.7%	22.2%
Financial reasons	%	10.4%	11.6%	9.3%	13.1%	9.5%	15.6%
Personal reasons	%	47.7%	44.4%	50.7%	39.3%	48.5%	51.1%
NCSU/city environmt	%	12.7%	12.4%	13.1%	16.4%	11.4%	20.0%
Hassle (lose credit hrs,etc.)	%	14.7%	15.2%	14.2%	21.3%	14.1%	11.1%
Miscellaneous/other	%	3.1%	3.2%	3.0%	6.6%	2.7%	2.2%
Total	N	518	250	268	61	412	45

Note: Respondents could provide more than one reason.
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Q Reasons for leaving or considering leaving NC State (among those who considered leaving/those who left and returned)

		NCSU	Men	Women	AfAm	White	Other
For better program/program not offered at NCSU	%	29.9%	31.2%	28.7%	19.7%	31.3%	31.1%
Poor advising at NC State	%	1.9%	1.2%	2.6%	3.3%	1.9%	0.0%
Poor academic performance	%	6.0%	7.6%	4.5%	6.6%	6.3%	2.2%
Class environment at NC State	%	6.9%	7.6%	6.3%	8.2%	6.1%	13.3%
Campus life	%	19.3%	18.4%	20.1%	24.6%	18.7%	17.8%
Financial reasons	%	7.3%	6.0%	8.6%	11.5%	6.3%	11.1%
Personal reasons	%	28.6%	24.0%	32.8%	32.8%	28.4%	24.4%
Location	%	8.5%	8.4%	8.6%	3.3%	9.2%	8.9%
Non-academic opportunity	%	1.7%	2.4%	1.1%	0.0%	1.9%	2.2%
Wanted to attend different school/NCSU not first choice	%	4.1%	4.4%	3.7%	6.6%	3.9%	2.2%
Total	N	518	250	268	61	412	45

Note: Respondents could provide more than one reason.
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For more information on the 2006-2007 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

Posted: December, 2007. Updated September 2008.

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