Transcript The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2005 40th

The American Freshman:
National Norms for Fall 2006
Sylvia Hurtado & John H. Pryor
January 19, 2007
Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP)
Higher Education Research Institute (HERI)
Graduate School of Education & Information Studies
University of California, Los Angeles
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.html
CIRP Surveys
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Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP)
established in 1966 at American Council on Education
CIRP transferred to UCLA in 1973
40th Anniversary of CIRP in 2006
Examination of long-term trends in college students
Data used for policy analysis, human resource
planning, campus administration, educational
research, guidance and counseling
CIRP Surveys
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Freshman Survey
Your First College Year (YFCY)
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College Senior Survey (CSS)
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End of first year of college
End of college experience
Survey instruments
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Used in conjunction for longitudinal purposes
Revised annually to reflect changing concerns
2006 Freshman Norms
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Based on weighted responses of 271,441 students
at 393 4-year colleges and universities
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88% median institutional participation rate
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Data statistically adjusted to reflect responses of
1.3 million first-time, full-time students
Presentation Outline
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Political Orientation and Views
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
Concerns about College Finances
Impact of Finances on College Choice
Reliance on Paid Work
AP Course-Taking and Exams
Civic Commitment and Concerns
Pre-College/College Racial Composition
Political Orientation and Views
Political Orientation and Views
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Increased prevalence of discussing politics in high
school
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2006 – 33.8 percent (“frequently”)
2004 – 25.5 percent (“frequently”)
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1988
1991
1994
1997
2000
2003
2006
Political Orientation and Views
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Political shift away from center
Political Orientation
Liberal
Middle-of-the-Road
Conservative
2006
Change from 2005
28.4%
+1.3%
43.3%
-1.7%
23.9%
+1.3%
(highest since 1975)
(lowest since 1970)
(highest in history)
Political Orientation and Views
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Political shift away from center
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
1988
1990
1992
1994
Liberal
1996
1998
Middle-of-the-Road
2000
Conservative
2002
2004
2006
Political Orientation and Views
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Shift in attitudes from 2005 to 2006
Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”
2005
2006
The federal government should do more
to control the sale of handguns
78.7%
73.8%
There is too much concern in the courts
for the rights of criminals
57.9%
55.9%
Same sex couples should have the right
to legal marital status
57.9%
61.2%
It is important to have laws prohibiting
homosexual relations
27.4%
25.6%
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
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Differences in support for gay rights
Attitudes on Gay Rights
Percent "agreeing"
100%
90%
80%
70%
83.6%
63.0%
60%
50%
40%
30%
48.5%
30.4%
22.8%
20%
10%
11.0%
0%
Sam-sex couples should have the right to
legal marital status
Liberal/Far Left
It is important to have laws prohibiting
homosexual relationships
Middle-of-the-Road
Conservative/Far Right
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
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Differences in support for legalizing abortion
Abortion Should Be Legal
Percent "agreeing"
100%
80%
78.3%
56.3%
60%
40%
31.8%
20%
0%
Liberal/Far Left
Middle-of-the-Road
Political Orientation
Conservative/Far Right
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
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Noticeable differences along ideological lines
Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”
Liberals
Conservatives
The death penalty should be
abolished
48.0%
22.5%
Marijuana should be legalized
52.5%
23.5%
A national health plan is needed to
cover everybody’s medical costs
83.9%
57.0%
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
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Affirmative action in college admissions should be
abolished
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52.7% of conservative freshmen agree “strongly” or
“somewhat”
44.6% of liberal freshmen agree “strongly” or
“somewhat”
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
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Modest differences along ideological lines
Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”
Liberals
Conservatives
Dissent is a critical component of
the political process
66.1%
63.2%
Realistically, an individual can do
little to bring about major changes
in our society
25.3%
26.5%
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
Political Orientation
Liberal/
Far Left
Middle-ofthe-Road
Conservative/
Far Right
The federal government is not doing
enough to control environmental
pollution
88.5%
79.3%
62.5%
The federal government should do
more to control the sale of handguns
81.8%
74.8%
62.1%
Only volunteers should serve in the
armed forces
73.0%
62.1%
53.6%
Wealthy people should pay a larger
share of taxes than they do now
71.6%
57.8%
42.2%
Through hard work, everybody can
succeed in American society
68.3%
79.9%
85.4%
The chief benefit of a college education
is that it increases one's earning power
59.6%
68.8%
70.8%
Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues
Political Orientation
Liberal/
Far Left
Middle-ofthe-Road
Conservative/
Far Right
There is too much concern in the courts
for the rights of criminals
43.2%
58.3%
67.6%
Undocumented immigrants should be
denied access to public education
34.0%
47.5%
61.4%
The federal government should raise
taxes to reduce the deficit
33.4%
24.2%
23.3%
Colleges have the right to ban extreme
speakers from campus
28.5%
40.6%
55.1%
Federal military spending should be
increased
18.4%
31.7%
51.4%
Racial discrimination is no longer a
problem in America
12.6%
18.7%
27.8%
Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”
Civic Commitment and Concerns
Civic Commitment and Concerns
Institutional Type
Black Colleges
All
Baccalaureate
Institutions
All
Black
Colleges
Public
Private
Helping others who are in difficulty
66.7%
76.5%
75.0%
79.5%
Becoming a community leader
35.2%
52.7%
49.8%
58.3%
Influencing social values
42.5%
57.7%
56.1%
60.9%
Participating in an organization like
the Peace Corps or
AmeriCorps/VISTA
11.3%
15.2%
15.3%
15.0%
“Essential” or “Very Important”
Objectives
Concerns about College Finances
Concerns about College Finances
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2 out of 3 (64.1 percent) students indicate that
they have “some” or “major” concerns regarding
their ability to finance the costs of college
education
11.6%
35.8%
None
Some
Major
52.5%
Concerns about College Finances
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50%
“Major” concerns about financing college based on family
income
40%
30%
23.8%
20%
11.0%
10%
3.2%
0%
Less than $50,000
$50,000-$100,000
More than $100,00
College Choice and Finances
College Choice
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2006 – 67.3%
attending first choice
Lowest level since
1988 (66.7%)
100%
Percent Accepted by First Choice
Institutions
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Students Accepted by First Choice Institution
Choosing to Attend Other Institutions
80%
60%
49.8%
39.3%
40%
34.6%
20%
0%
2nd Choice
3rd Choice
4th Choice or Lower
Choice of Institution Attended
College Choice and Finances
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Top 5 important reasons influencing college choice
for students attending first-choice institution
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Academic reputation
Graduates getting good jobs
Visit to campus
School size
Good social reputation
Impact of Finances on College Choice
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Finances of greater concern for students attending
second- and third-choice institutions
Considered cost
“very important”
Freshmen attending first-choice institution
29.1%
Freshmen attending second-choice institution
37.4%
Freshmen attending third-choice institution
40.4%
Impact of Finances on College Choice
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Of students who were admitted but did not attend
their first-choice institutions…
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34.0% could not afford their first choice
20.7% did not receive aid from their first choice
Impact of Finances on College Choice
Attending
"Very Important" Reason for Attending
this College
4th Choice
and Lower
1st Choice
2nd Choice
3rd
Choice
This college has a very good academic
reputation
63.0
49.9
41.1
30.5
This college's graduates get good jobs
52.7
44.9
39.2
31.3
A visit to campus
43.1
31.2
23.5
18.0
I wanted to go to a school about the size
of this college
42.9
33.6
26.0
21.3
This college has a very good reputation for
its social activities
35.6
28.0
21.6
15.5
I was offered financial assistance
32.5
37.2
39.6
39.8
This college's graduates gain admission to
top graduate/professional schools
31.4
28.4
27.5
23.8
Impact of Finances on College Choice
Attending
"Very Important" Reason for Attending
this College
1st
Choice
2nd
Choice
3rd
Choice
4th Choice
and Lower
The cost of attending this college
29.1
37.4
40.4
41.2
I wanted to live near home
19.6
16.7
13.8
12.5
Information from a website
18.1
15.6
13.4
11.0
Rankings in national magazines
17.5
14.4
14.0
12.9
Admitted through Early Action/Decision
program
13.4
6.4
5.0
3.7
Could not afford my first choice
3.0
20.4
26.0
28.4
Not offered aid by my first choice
2.3
13.2
18.2
21.4
Reliance on Paid Work
Reliance on Paid Work
2006
Change from
2000
Parents, other relatives, or friends
82.2%
-0.3%
Other savings
38.3%
+6.3%
Part-time job on campus
29.0%
+3.2%
Part-time job off campus
24.3%
+2.4%
4.7%
+2.0%
Source of Aid for First Year
Full-time job while in college
AP Course-Taking and Exams
AP Course-Taking and Exams
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61.6% took at least one AP course
51.0% took at least one AP exam
6.3% went to high schools that did not offer AP
courses
AP Course-Taking and Exams
AP Courses
Offered at My
High School:
None
Took 1 or
More AP
Courses
Took 1 or
More AP
Exams
Took 5 or
More AP
Courses
White
6.2%
61.1%
49.7%
13.9%
Black/African American
7.4%
49.8%
38.6%
7.6%
American Indian
6.5%
62.1%
48.7%
31.7%
Asian American/Pacific
Islander
5.8%
73.1%
65.7%
17.8%
Latina/o
5.1%
67.7%
59.4%
13.7%
Other/Unknown
7.4%
58.9%
47.8%
13.0%
TOTAL
6.3%
61.7%
50.9%
14.9%
Pre-College/College Racial Composition
Pre-College/College Racial Composition
Percentage of White Students in
Incoming Freshman Cohort at
Student's Institution
Racial Composition of High School Last
Attended
Mean %
s.d.
All/mostly non-White
49.0
28.5
Half & Half
63.0
22.8
All/mostly White
72.1
16.9
All/mostly non-White
48.5
29.3
Half & Half
59.5
24.6
All/mostly White
71.9
16.5
67.0
21.6
Racial Composition of Neighborhood Where
You Grew Up
TOTAL
Conclusions
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Increasing student political and civic awareness
Colleges can foster democratic citizenship, greater
political and civic awareness. Good news for college
classroom and student affairs work
College choice is becoming more complex
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Attention to financial support for low-income and middleclass families is essential
Given unequal opportunities in access to AP courses
and exams, we need to offer alternative criteria for
admissions
Diversity remains a major concern for college
educational goals
For more information:
A copy of “The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall
2006, press release, research brief, powerpoint slides:
http://www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/heri.htm
Register for the 2007 CIRP Freshman Survey
www.gseis.ucla.edu/heri/cirp_register.html