|
FRESHMAN SURVEY, 2002-3
| What students expect to major in |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Arts and humanities |
12.6% |
11.5% |
13.9% |
| Art, fine and applied |
3.0% |
2.3% |
3.5% |
| English (language and literature) |
1.7% |
1.3% |
2.1% |
| History |
1.2% |
1.7% |
0.9% |
| Journalism |
1.6% |
1.1% |
2.1% |
| Language and literature (except English) |
0.5% |
0.3% |
0.7% |
| Music |
1.5% |
1.8% |
1.2% |
| Philosophy |
0.3% |
0.5% |
0.2% |
| Speech |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.2% |
| Theater or drama |
1.2% |
1.0% |
1.4% |
| Theology or religion |
0.4% |
0.6% |
0.3% |
| Other |
1.1% |
0.8% |
1.3% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Biological sciences |
7.2% |
5.9% |
8.0% |
| Biology (general) |
4.1% |
3.1% |
4.9% |
| Biochemistry or biophysics |
0.9% |
0.9% |
0.9% |
| Environmental science |
0.5% |
0.5% |
0.4% |
| Marine science |
0.4% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
| Microbiology or bacteriology |
0.3% |
0.3% |
0.3% |
| Zoology |
0.4% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
| Other |
0.6% |
0.5% |
0.7% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Business |
16.2% |
20.4% |
12.7% |
| Accounting |
2.4% |
2.5% |
2.2% |
| Business administration (general) |
3.8% |
5.2% |
2.7% |
| Finance |
1.6% |
2.6% |
0.8% |
| International business |
1.4% |
1.3% |
1.5% |
| Marketing |
2.7% |
2.7% |
2.6% |
| Management |
3.4% |
4.9% |
2.2% |
| Other |
0.9% |
1.2% |
0.7% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Education |
10.6% |
5.9% |
14.4% |
| Business education |
0.2% |
0.3% |
0.1% |
| Elementary education |
5.2% |
1.1% |
8.6% |
| Music or art education |
0.7% |
0.5% |
0.8% |
| Physical education or recreation |
0.8% |
1.1% |
0.5% |
| Secondary education |
2.7% |
2.5% |
3.0% |
| Special education |
0.6% |
0.2% |
0.9% |
| Other |
0.4% |
0.2% |
0.5% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Engineering |
9.5% |
17.9% |
3.0% |
| Aeronautical engineering |
0.9% |
1.7% |
0.3% |
| Civil engineering |
0.9% |
1.7% |
0.3% |
| Chemical engineering |
0.6% |
0.9% |
0.4% |
| Computer engineering |
2.0% |
4.0% |
0.5% |
| Electrical or electronic engineering |
1.3% |
2.6% |
0.3% |
| Industrial engineering |
0.2% |
0.3% |
0.1% |
| Mechanical engineering |
2.3% |
4.6% |
0.4% |
| Other |
1.3% |
2.1% |
0.7% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Physical sciences |
2.7% |
3.2% |
2.3% |
| Astronomy |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
| Atmospheric science |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
| Chemistry |
0.9% |
0.9% |
0.8% |
| Earth science |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
| Marine science |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.1% |
| Mathematics |
0.7% |
0.8% |
0.7% |
| Physics |
0.5% |
0.9% |
0.2% |
| Other |
0.2% |
0.2% |
0.2% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Professional |
12.3% |
7.6% |
16.0% |
| Architecture or urban planning |
0.9% |
1.2% |
0.7% |
| Home economics |
0.1% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
| Health technology (medical, dental,laboratory) |
0.5% |
0.3% |
0.6% |
| Medicine, dentistry, veterinarian |
4.2% |
3.0% |
5.1% |
| Nursing |
2.7% |
0.4% |
4.6% |
| Pharmacy |
1.3% |
1.0% |
1.6% |
| Therapy (occupational, physical, speech) |
1.9% |
1.1% |
2.5% |
| Other |
0.7% |
0.6% |
0.8% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Social sciences |
10.4% |
7.5% |
13.1% |
| Anthropology |
0.3% |
0.2% |
0.4% |
| Economics |
0.5% |
0.8% |
0.3% |
| Ethnic studies |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
| Geography |
0.0% |
0.1% |
0.0% |
| Political science |
3.3% |
3.4% |
3.3% |
| Psychology |
4.8% |
2.3% |
6.8% |
| Social work |
0.6% |
0.1% |
1.1% |
| Sociology |
0.6% |
0.4% |
0.7% |
| Women's studies |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
| Other |
0.3% |
0.2% |
0.3% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Technical |
1.4% |
2.8% |
0.6% |
| Building trades |
0.0% |
0.1% |
0.0% |
| Data processing or computer programming |
0.9% |
1.8% |
0.2% |
| Drafting or design |
0.3% |
0.3% |
0.3% |
| Electronics |
0.1% |
0.2% |
0.0% |
| Mechanics |
0.0% |
0.1% |
0.0% |
| Other |
0.1% |
0.3% |
0.1% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Other |
8.5% |
10.6% |
6.7% |
| Agriculture |
0.6% |
0.7% |
0.5% |
| Communications |
2.5% |
1.9% |
2.9% |
| Computer science |
2.2% |
4.2% |
0.7% |
| Forestry |
0.1% |
0.1% |
0.0% |
| Kinesiology |
0.4% |
0.4% |
0.4% |
| Law enforcement |
1.2% |
1.8% |
0.7% |
| Military science |
0.1% |
0.2% |
0.0% |
| Other |
1.4% |
1.3% |
1.5% |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Undecided |
8.4% |
7.2% |
9.4% |
Back to top
| Student rated self above average or highest 10 percent in: |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Cooperativeness |
72.2% |
70.1% |
73.8% |
| Drive to achieve |
70.5% |
66.9% |
73.3% |
| Academic ability |
69.5% |
73.3% |
66.3% |
| Understanding of others |
65.8% |
63.0% |
68.2% |
| Persistence |
63.0% |
64.7% |
61.6% |
| Leadership ability |
60.2% |
63.7% |
57.3% |
| Self-confidence (intellectual) |
60.1% |
69.6% |
52.4% |
| Creativity |
57.5% |
59.1% |
56.2% |
| Physical health |
56.4% |
67.2% |
47.6% |
| Self-understanding |
55.8% |
60.6% |
51.9% |
| Emotional health |
53.9% |
60.5% |
48.5% |
| Self-confidence (social) |
50.3% |
55.0% |
46.5% |
| Writing ability |
46.4% |
45.1% |
47.4% |
| Mathematical ability |
45.2% |
55.4% |
36.9% |
| Risk-taking |
43.0% |
51.1% |
36.5% |
| Spirituality |
39.1% |
37.3% |
40.5% |
| Popularity |
38.8% |
45.4% |
33.3% |
| Computer skills |
37.6% |
51.2% |
26.4% |
| Public-speaking ability |
36.7% |
39.5% |
34.3% |
| Religiousness |
31.1% |
28.8% |
33.0% |
| Artistic ability |
29.7% |
29.7% |
29.7% |
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| Traits that describe student to a great extent |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Being honest in my relationships with others |
71.5% |
65.8% |
76.2% |
| Searching for mission/purpose in life |
34.5% |
31.7% |
36.7% |
| Believing in the sacredness of life |
33.7% |
31.3% |
35.6% |
| Engaging in self-reflection |
25.7% |
24.3% |
26.9% |
| Appreciating the interconnectedness of everything |
23.7% |
24.0% |
23.5% |
| Highest academic degree planned: |
| None |
0.8% |
| Vocational certificate |
0.1% |
| Associate |
0.5% |
| Bachelor's |
23.5% |
| Master's |
42.4% |
| Ph.D. or Ed.D. |
17.4% |
| M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.V.M. |
8.8% |
| LL.B. or J.D. (law) |
4.9% |
| B.D. or M.Div. (divinity) |
0.3% |
| Other |
1.2% |
| Students estimate chances are very good that they will: |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| Get a bachelor's degree |
79.5% |
76.8% |
81.8% |
| Develop close friendships with other students |
71.5% |
65.4% |
76.3% |
| Socialize with someone of another racial/ethnic group |
66.6% |
59.8% |
72.1% |
| Make at least "B" average |
60.2% |
58.9% |
61.2% |
| Be satisfied with college |
51.8% |
47.5% |
55.3% |
| Get a job to help pay for college expenses |
47.1% |
40.0% |
52.9% |
| Participate in student clubs/groups |
41.9% |
32.5% |
49.5% |
| Communicate regularly with professors |
35.6% |
30.4% |
39.8% |
| Strengthen religious beliefs/convictions |
26.0% |
20.7% |
30.2% |
| Participate in volunteer or community service |
25.2% |
15.6% |
33.0% |
| Participate in a study-abroad program |
20.8% |
13.6% |
26.6% |
| Play intercollegiate athletics |
15.1% |
19.0% |
11.9% |
| Change major field |
14.8% |
13.3% |
16.0% |
| Change career choice |
13.6% |
11.7% |
15.2% |
| Join a social fraternity or sorority |
11.1% |
8.7% |
13.0% |
| Participate in student government |
7.6% |
6.0% |
8.9% |
| Transfer to another college before graduating |
7.3% |
6.9% |
7.6% |
| Seek personal counseling |
7.1% |
5.3% |
8.6% |
| Work full time while attending college |
6.2% |
5.5% |
6.7% |
| Participate in student protests or demonstrations |
5.6% |
5.3% |
5.8% |
| Drop out of college |
0.8% |
1.1% |
0.5% |
Back to top
| Agree strongly or somewhat that: |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| The federal government should do more to control the sale
of handguns |
77.8% |
69.1% |
84.8% |
| The federal government should do more to discourage energy
consumption |
75.1% |
73.7% |
76.2% |
| There is too much concern in the courts for rights of
criminals |
64.0% |
65.8% |
62.5% |
| Colleges should prohibit racist and sexist speech on campus |
60.0% |
54.3% |
64.6% |
| Same-sex couples should have the right to legal marital
status |
59.3% |
50.8% |
66.3% |
| Abortion should be legal |
53.6% |
54.2% |
53.2% |
| Wealthy people should pay a larger share of taxes than
they do now |
50.1% |
50.0% |
50.2% |
| Federal military spending should be increased |
45.0% |
50.7% |
40.4% |
| Marijuana should be legalized |
39.7% |
45.8% |
34.7% |
| People should not obey laws that violate their personal
values |
35.3% |
40.1% |
31.5% |
| The death penalty should be abolished |
32.1% |
28.1% |
35.4% |
| Realistically, an individual can do little to bring about
changes in our society |
27.5% |
31.6% |
24.1% |
| It is important to have laws prohibiting homosexual relationships |
24.8% |
32.6% |
18.5% |
| The activities of married women are best confined to the
home and family |
21.5% |
27.7% |
16.5% |
|
Back to top
| Top reasons noted as very important in deciding
to go to college |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| To learn more about things that interest me |
77.5% |
73.7% |
80.6% |
| To be able to get a better job |
71.6% |
71.6% |
71.6 % |
| To get training for a specific career |
71.1 % |
67.5% |
74.0% |
| To be able to make more money |
70.5% |
74.0% |
67.7% |
| To gain a general education and appreciation of ideas |
66.0% |
59.4% |
71.3% |
| Top reasons noted as very important in selecting college attended |
| |
All |
Men |
Women |
| College has a very good academic reputation |
55.4% |
51.4% |
58.6% |
| Was offered financial assistance |
34.1% |
30.7% |
36.9% |
| Wanted to go to a school about the size of this college |
33.7% |
27.0% |
39.0% |
| College has a good reputation for its social activities |
28.7% |
28.0% |
29.2% |
| College has low tuition |
21.7% |
19.6% |
23.5% |
| NOTE: The statistics are based on survey responses of 282,549 first-year students entering 437 four-year colleges and universities in the fall of 2002. The figures were statistically adjusted to represent the total population of approximately 1.2 million first-time, full-time students at four-year institutions. Because of rounding or multiple responses, figures may add up to more than 100 percent. |
| SOURCE: "The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 2002," published by the American Council on Education and the University of California at Los Angeles Higher Education Research Institute |
http://chronicle.com
Section: Students
Volume 49, Issue 21, Page A37
|
