2006 Senior Survey Summary Report

Transcription

1 2006 Senior Survey Summary Report Consortium on Financing Higher Education November 2007

2 Confidential and Proprietary Information This document contains information supplied to the Consortium on Financing Higher Education by its members for their use, and may not be disclosed to anyone outside the Consortium without the express written consent of the Consortium. Copyright 2007 Consortium on Financing Higher Education. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the Consortium on Financing Higher Education.

3 2006 Senior Survey Summary Report Table of Contents I - Overall Satisfaction... 1 II - Satisfaction with Academic Experience... 1 Quality of Overall Academic Experience... 1 II - Satisfaction with Academic Experience... 2 Quality of Course Instruction... 2 Quality of Instruction in Major Area of Study... 3 Importance of the component parts... 3 Satisfaction with the component parts... 4 III - Satisfaction with Campus Experience... 6 Quality of Campus Services and Facilities... 6 Quality of Campus Life... 7 Encourage a high school senior to attend your institution... 8 IV - Impact of undergraduate education... 9 Questioning one s beliefs... 9 Time interacting with other groups Importance of Skills and Abilities Changes in Skills and Abilities V - Plans for the Fall following Graduation Principal activity Plans other than additional education Plans other than attending first choice institution Educational Plans Sources of information for making decisions about future plans VI Financing Different sources that the seniors used for financing their educations Distribution of Grant Aid Personal borrowing Impact on family VII Spending time Participating in different activities Time spent during the week VIII Living arrangements IX Distribution of ethnic/racial groups X - Educational level of parents... 24

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5 2006 Senior Survey Summary Report I - Overall Satisfaction The seniors in the 2006 COFHE Senior Survey were quite satisfied on average with their undergraduate education as indicated by 48% being generally satisfied and about 40% being very satisfied. This is a slight increase of three percentage points from the findings in the 2002 report. Figure 1 shows the averages by institution type for the generally and very satisfied categories. The distribution for this year is similar to the 2002 report, that is, Coed Colleges have the highest percentage of very satisfied seniors and Women s colleges have the next highest. Figure 1 Level of Satisfaction with Undergraduate Education Colleges Womens Ivies Universities Generally Satisfied Very Satisfied II - Satisfaction with Academic Experience Quality of Overall Academic Experience When asked to rate their level of satisfaction with the quality of their overall academic experience, the seniors ranked their satisfaction as shown in Figure 2. The top three items with which the seniors were very satisfied were: out of class faculty availability, quality of instruction, and class size. These undoubtedly contribute to the high levels of satisfaction with their overall education. Figure 2 Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Overall Academic Experience Out of class faculty availability Quality of instruction Class size Study off-campus or abroad Opportunity to participate in research with faculty Course availability Very Satisfied Academic advising in your major Generally Satisfied Interdisciplinary courses Independent study/self-designed courses Tutorial help/academic assistance Internships The distribution of rankings was almost identical to that in the 2002 report. The only Academic advising before declaring a major differences were for those items ranked fourth through sixth as shown below:

6 Table 1 Satisfaction with Quality of Overall Academic Experience Comparison of Items 4 to 6 Rank Study off campus or abroad Course availability 5 Opportunity to participate in research with faculty 6 Course availability Study off campus or abroad Opportunity to participate in research with faculty The results are a little different and possibly more meaningful, however, if one looks at the percentage of seniors who answered Not Applicable to the same questions as shown in Figure 3. If it is assumed that a low Not Applicable means that the item is important, the top three items are quality of instruction, class size, and course availability. Not surprisingly, more than 40% of the respondents indicated that study off-campus or abroad was not applicable to them. In addition, only 8% of the seniors thought that academic advising before declaring a major was Not Applicable to them but only 13% were very satisfied with it. A similar pattern exists for advising in the major; about 1% of the students thought that it was Not Applicable but only 28% were very satisfied with their major advising. Advising before and after declaring a major continues to receive student criticism as in prior surveys. Figure 3 Percent of Seniors who answered Not Applicable to the Quality of Overall Academic Experience questions Quality of instruction Class size Course availability Out of class faculty availability Academic advising in your major Academic advising before declaring a major Interdisciplinary courses Tutorial help/academic assistance Internships Opportunity to participate in research with faculty member Study off-campus or abroad Independent study/self-designed courses II - Satisfaction with Academic Experience Quality of Course Instruction Figure 4 charts the levels of satisfaction with the quality of course instruction. Seniors were most satisfied with courses in their major field and next, with courses in humanities and the arts. These rankings are identical to those in the 2002 report. 2

7 100 Figure 4 Level of Satisfaction with Quality of Course Instruction Generally Satisfied Very Satisfied Courses in major field Humanities & Arts courses Social Science courses Natural Science & Math courses Engineering courses II - Satisfaction with Academic Experience Quality of Instruction in Major Area of Study Importance of the component parts Figure 5 lists the importance to the seniors of the component parts of their educational experience in their major area of study. Not surprisingly, quality of instruction, intellectual excitement, and the availability of courses that they wanted to study ranked at the top of the list. These results are the same as for the 2002 survey. As in the previously discussed set of questions dealing with overall satisfaction, quality of instruction and course availability were the two items with the lowest percentages of Not Applicable. Figure 6 shows the distribution of responses marked Not Applicable for the same questions. The relative ranking matches those in Figure 5. That is, quality of instruction was essential for about two thirds of the seniors and was indicated to be Not Applicable by only a half of a percent of them. Figure 5 For your major area of study how important do you think the following items are? quality of instruction intellectual excitement availability of courses you want to study flexibility of your major quality of advising opportunities for class discussion availability of instructors during office hours helpfulness of faculty outside of classroom availability of instructors outside of office hours classrooms and classroom facilities undergraduate departmental office laboratory experience other contact with instructors outside classroom adequacy of laboratory facilities availability of tutoring and other help essential very important somewhat important

8 Figure 6 Items marked not applicable for importance in major area of study quality of instruction intellectual excitement availability of courses you want to study quality of advising availability of instructors during office hours flexibility of your major opportunities for class discussion availability of instructors outside of office hours classrooms and classroom facilities helpfulness of faculty outside of classroom other contact with instructors outside classroom undergraduate departmental office availability of tutoring and other help laboratory experience adequacy of laboratory facilities II - Satisfaction with Academic Experience Quality of Instruction in Major Area of Study Satisfaction with the component parts Figure 7 shows the level of satisfaction with the same items listed in Figure 5. These results are very similar to those from the 2002 survey. There are some significant differences when comparing what seniors rank as important and those components with which they are satisfied. For example, seniors are more satisfied with the availability of instructors during office hours, which was listed seventh in order of importance, and flexibility of their major, which was listed fourth in order of importance, than they are in the quality of instruction which was listed as the most important component of their educational experience in their major area of study. The seniors are slightly more satisfied with the availability of instructors during office hours than they are with the quality of instruction even when the very and generally satisfied scores are combined. Figure 8 shows the distribution of those items marked as Not Applicable for the satisfaction questions. The three lowest percentage Not Applicable items in Figure 8 line up with those in Figure 6. The students are quite consistent about the importance to them of the quality of instruction, intellectual excitement and the availability of courses that they wanted to study. These results are the same as in the 2002 survey. Finally, Table 2 compares the rank order of the first five items listed in the importance questions with the first five listed in the satisfaction question. It s clear that the students thought their faculty were quite accessible regardless of whether during regular office hours or not. The quality of instruction and intellectual excitement, however, seem to fall short of the students expectations. More research would need to be done to determine the nature of the relationship between importance and satisfaction. 4

9 Figure 7 For your major area of study how satisfied are you with the following? laboratory experience availability of tutoring and other help adequacy of laboratory facilities quality of advising other contact with instructors outside classroom undergraduate departmental office classrooms and classroom facilities availability of courses you want to study opportunities for class discussion helpfulness of faculty outside of classroom availability of instructors outside of office hours intellectual excitement quality of instruction flexibility of your major availability of instructors during office hours very satisfied generally satisified Figure 8 Items marked not applicable for satisfaction in area of major study quality of instruction intellectual excitement availability of courses you want to study flexibility of your major quality of advising classrooms and classroom facilities opportunities for class discussion availability of instructors during office hours helpfulness of faculty outside of classroom availability of instructors outside of office hours undergraduate departmental office other contact with instructors outside classroom availability of tutoring and other help adequacy of laboratory facilities laboratory experience

10 Table 2 Comparisons of the rank order of importance and satisfaction of educational components in major area of study Items 1 to 5 Rank Importance Satisfaction Order 1 Quality of instruction Availability of instructors during office hours 2 Intellectual excitement Flexibility of your major 3 Availability of courses you want to study Quality of instruction 4 Flexibility of your major Intellectual excitement 5 Quality of advising Availability of instructors outside of office hours III - Satisfaction with Campus Experience Quality of Campus Services and Facilities Figure 9 shows that the top three items with which the seniors were most satisfied were: the library facilities, computer facilities and resources, and classrooms. When one looks at the Not Applicable responses in Figure 10, the lowest three response categories were: classrooms, library facilities, and food services. A very small percentage of the seniors, only 1%, thought that the food services were Not Applicable to them but only 17% were very satisfied with those services. This is a service that could be reviewed in greater detail on campuses. Figure 9 Levels of Satisfaction with Quality of Campus Services & Facilities Library facilities Computer facilities & resources Classrooms Athletic facilities Laboratory facilities & equipment Campus security office/campus Foreign language facilities Student housing services Registrar's office Your financial aid award (s) Student employment programs Student health services Financial services Financial aid office Career counseling Food services Student housing office/services Administrations responsiveness Psychological counseling services Very Satisfied Generally Satisfied

11 Figure 10 Percent of Seniors who answered Not Applicable to Quality of Campus Services and Facilities Question Classrooms Library facilities Food services Computer facilities & resources Student housing services Registrar's office Campus security office/campus police Student health services Athletic facilities Administrations responsiveness to Student housing office/services Career counseling Financial services Laboratory facilities & equipment Foreign language facilities Student employment programs Your financial aid award (s) Financial aid office Psychological counseling services III - Satisfaction with Campus Experience Quality of Campus Life Figure 11 charts the satisfaction responses to questions about the quality of campus life. The top three items were: opportunities for extracurricular activities; feeling of security on campus; and extra curricular speakers; cultural offerings, and events. Figure 12 charts the responses of Not Applicable for the same questions. It is interesting to note that only 1% of the seniors thought that a sense of community on campus was Not Applicable to them but only 24% were very satisfied with the sense of community. In a similar vein, 3% of the students thought that the ethnic/racial diversity on campus was Not Applicable but only 23% were very satisfied with the ethnic/racial diversity. In contrast, 15% were very satisfied with the climate for minorities on campus but 30% indicated that this question did not apply to them. These results are similar to those in the 2002 survey. Future research could be done to determine whether or not the 23% who were very satisfied with the ethnic/racial diversity were among those who thought that the climate for minorities on campus didn t apply to them. Figure 11 Satisfaction with Quality of Campus Life Opportunities for extracurricular activities Feeling of security on campus Extra curricular speakers, cultural offerings, and events Sense of community where you live Social life on campus Recreational and intramural athlethic opportunities Sense of community on campus Ethnic/racial diversity on campus Intercollegiate athletic opportunities Club sport opportunities Climate for minority students on campus Student government Very Satisfied Generally Satisfied

12 Figure 12 Percent of Seniors who answered Not Applicable to Quality of Campus Life questions Feeling of security on campus Social life on campus Sense of community on campus Opportunities for extracurricular activities Sense of community where you live Extra curricular speakers, cultural offerings, and events Ethnic/racial diversity on campus Student government Recreational and intramural athlethic opportunities Climate for minority students on campus Club sport opportunities Intercollegiate athletic opportunities III - Satisfaction with Campus Experience Encourage a high school senior to attend your institution Figure 13 charts the responses for the question that asks the seniors whether or not they would encourage a high school senior to attend their institution. This question illustrates some differences among seniors satisfaction with academic and social experiences and their endorsements for others. Seniors from the Ivies would be most likely to encourage a student to attend their institution while seniors from Universities were the least likely. However, these results differ from the question that dealt with overall satisfaction with their undergraduate education. In that question, seniors at Coed Colleges were the most satisfied. Further analysis would be needed to try to determine why almost two thirds of the seniors at Ivies would definitely encourage a high school senior to attend their institution when less than half of those seniors were very satisfied with their education. For all types of institutions, the percentage of seniors who would definitely recommend a high school senior attend to their institution was higher by at least 10 percentage points than the percentage who reported being very satisfied with their education. Additional research would be needed to determine whether social or academic factors were the determinant in the differences. Table 3 shows the changes from the 2002 survey to the 2006 survey. The percentage of seniors who would definitely encourage a senior to attend their school increased in all but Coed Colleges which remained high but didn t change. 8

13 Figure 13 Percent of Seniors who would encourage a high school senior to attend their institution Probably Would Definitely Would Ivies Colleges Universities Women's Table 3 Percentage of Seniors Who Would Definitely Recommend Their School Ivies Colleges Universities Women s IV - Impact of undergraduate education Questioning one s beliefs Figure 14 charts the percentage of seniors who questioned their beliefs to some extent during their undergraduate education. Seniors were most likely to have questioned their beliefs about the nature of humans or society and were least likely to have questioned their own religious beliefs. Exposure to students with religions different from theirs is also associated with almost two thirds of the seniors questioning their views on other religions. These results are very similar to those of the 2002 survey. The only changes were in the relative positions of Beliefs about a race/ethnic group other than your own and Own moral/ethical beliefs which reversed in order from the 2002 survey. Figure 14 Percentage of seniors who questioned their beliefs Beliefs about the nature of humans or society Beliefs about religion (s) other than your own Own politcal beliefs/values Beliefs about a race/ethnic group other than your own Own moral/ethical beliefs Beliefs about people with sexual orientations other than your own Own religious beliefs

14 IV - Impact of undergraduate education Time interacting with other groups Figure 15 shows the percentages for differing amounts of time being spent with different groups on campus. Seniors spent the least amount of time interacting with American Indians and the most amount of time interacting with Whites. The second group that they spent the most amount of time with was individuals whose religion was different from their own. This interaction may have influenced the number of seniors who questioned their beliefs about other religions, discussed above. The next largest different group was individuals who came from a different economic group than the respondent. It is also interesting to note that the seniors interacted with foreign students slightly more than they did with Blacks or Hispanics. The relative ranking of these responses is identical to that on the 2002 survey. Figure 15 Amount of interaction with different groups White Different religion from your ow n Different economic background from yours Asian American Foreign Students Black or African American Substantial Some Little None Hispanic or Latino Native Haw aiian American Indian or Alaska native

15 IV - Impact of undergraduate education Importance of Skills and Abilities Figure 16 charts the importance of different skills and abilities to the seniors. The top three important skills are: think analytically and logically, communicate well orally, and write effectively. The relative ranking for the 2006 survey was similar to that from the 2002 survey. The differences for the first five choices are listed below: Table 4 Ranking of Importance of Different Skills & Abilities Items 1 to 5 Rank Think analytically and logically Communicate well orally 2 Communicate well orally Write effectively 3 Write effectively Think analytically and logically 4 Same as 2002 Acquire new skills and knowledge on your own 5 Function independently, without supervision Understand own abilities, interests, limitations, and personality Figure 16 The Relative Importance of Different Skills and Abilities Think analytically and logically Communicate well orally Write effectively Acquire new skills and knowledge on your own Function independently, without supervision Understand own abilities, interests, limitations, and personality Formulate/create original ideas and solutions Develop self-esteem/confidence Relate well to people of different races, nations, and religions Function effectively as a member of a team Evaluate and choose between alternate courses of action Synthesize and integrate ideas and information Resolve interpersonal conflicts positively Lead and supervise tasks and groups of people Plan and execute complex projects Gain in-depth knowledge of a field Develop an awareness of social problems Identify moral and ethical issues Place current problems in historical/cultural/philosophical perspective Use quantitative skills Appreciate art, literature, music, drama Acquire broad knowledge in the arts and sciences Understand the process of science and experimentation Read or speak a foreign language Evaluate the role of science and technology in society

16 IV - Impact of undergraduate education Changes in Skills and Abilities Figure 17 shows the differing changes in skills and abilities as a consequence of the senior s undergraduate education. Table 5 shows the differences between the 2002 and 2006 surveys. While the results in Figure 17 don t map exactly to the rankings listed in Figure 16, they are close. Again, the top three important skills listed in Figure 16 were: think analytically and logically, communicate well orally, and write effectively. The top three skills as far as the most change experienced were: understand own abilities, interests, limitations, and personality; think analytically and logically; and acquire new skills and knowledge on your own. See also Table 6 for a comparison of the rank order of importance and change in skills and abilities. It s interesting to note that almost 9% of the seniors stated that they were weaker now in the category of developing self-esteem or confidence and 22% stated no change in the same category. This means that almost a third of the seniors experienced a decline or saw no change in their self-esteem or self confidence at the close of their college careers. We should also acknowledge the largest weaker area read or speak a foreign language. Table 5 Comparison of the Rank Order of the Changes in Skills & Abilities Items 1 to 5 Rank Order Understand own abilities, interests, Understand own abilities, interests, limitations, and limitations, and personality personality 2 Think analytically and logically Gain in-depth knowledge of a field 3 Acquire new skills and knowledge on your own Acquire new skills and knowledge on your own 4 Gain in-depth knowledge of a field Think analytically and logically 5 Write effectively Write effectively Table 6 Comparison of Rank Order of the Importance in Changes in Skills and Abilities Items 1 to 5 Rank Order Importance Change 1 Think analytically and logically Understand own abilities, interests, limitations, and personality 2 Communicate well orally Think analytically and logically 3 Write effectively Acquire new skills and knowledge on your own 4 Acquire new skills and knowledge on your own Gain in-depth knowledge of a field 5 Function independently, without supervision Write effectively 12

17 Understand ow n abilities, interests, limitations, and personality Think analytically and logically Acquire new skills and know ledge on your ow n Gain in-depth know ledge of a field Write effectively Place current problems in historical/cultural/philosophical perspective Lead and supervise tasks and groups of people Develop an aw areness of social problems Plan and execute complex projects Develop self-esteem/confidence Communicate w ell orally Synthesize and integrate ideas and information Formulate/create original ideas and solutions Relate w ell to people of different races, nations, and religions Read or speak a foreign language Appreciate art, literature, music, drama Understand the process of science and experimentation Acquire broad know ledge in the arts and sciences Use quantitative skills Identify moral and ethical issues Function effectively as a member of a team Function independently, w ithout supervision Evaluate and choose betw een alternate courses of action Evaluate the role of science and technology in society Resolve interpersonal conflicts positively Figure 17 Change in Skills and Abilities as a result of undergraduate education Weaker Now No change Stronger now Much stronger now 13

18 V - Plans for the Fall following Graduation Principal activity Figures 18 and 19 confirm that 28% of the seniors will be attending a graduate or a professional school in the Fall following their graduation. This is the same percentage of seniors in the previous survey who planned on attending a graduate or professional school. Most, 59%, seniors stated that they will be employed full time following graduation. This was an increase of twelve percentage points from the results of the 2002 survey. Finally, the results shown in Figure 19 are almost identical to those from the 2002 survey. Figure 18 What Will Be your Principal Activity this Fall? Employment full time Graduat e or professional school - full time Employment part time Completely undecided Other activity Volunteer activity Additional undergraduate Traveling Military service Graduate or professional school - part time Starting or raising a family Figure 19 What is the best description of your educational plans for this Fall? No planning on school for the Fall Accepted and will be attending No acceptances Accepted and deferred admission Placed on waiting list no acceptances

19 V - Plans for the Fall following Graduation Plans other than additional education Close to a quarter of those seniors who plan to be working will be working in the financial services sector, with consulting and education ranking as the second and third choices. These data are shown in Figure 20. This question was new to the 2006 survey. Financial services Consulting Education Other Health or medicine Non profit agency or NGO Engineering Communications - media Business - other Law Sales or marketing Government Sports, hospitality Information technology Military Figure 20 If you accepted a job this Fall in what sector? When asked what else they will be doing following graduation, the top ranked item was traveling followed by working either full or part time. Figure 21 presents these data. The relative rankings for this survey are the same as the 2002 survey. Figure 21 What else will you do this Fall? Traveling Employment full time Employment part time Volunteer activity Graduate or professional school full time Completely undecided Other activity Graduate or professional school part time Additional undergraduate coursework Starting or raising a family Military Service

20 V - Plans for the Fall following Graduation Plans other than attending first choice institution For those students who were not attending their first choice graduate or professional institution, over half listed not being admitted to their first choice as a reason for not attending their first choice school. The relative rankings for this survey are the same as the 2002 survey. Figure 22 If not attending first choice institution, why not? Not admitted to first choice 52 Other 25 More attractive aid/assistance offered 9 School attending will cost less 8 Geographical constraints V - Plans for the Fall following Graduation Educational Plans For those students who plan on attending a graduate or professional school in the Fall, the first choice is to pursue a Masters degree followed by a Ph.D, M.D., and J.D. degrees. Figure 23 presents these data. These rankings are different from those of the 2002 survey as shown in Table 7. Masters in Arts & Sciences Ph.D. M.D. J.D. Other Masters degree Masters in Engineering Other degree or certificate Undecided Second bachelor's degree MBA Professional doctorate Figure 23 If you have educational plans for this Fall, what degree will you pursue?

21 Table 7 Degree to Pursue in the Fall Items 1 to 4 Rank Order Masters Masters 2 Ph.D. JD 3 M.D, Ph.D. 4 JD M.D. When asked if they planned on pursuing a degree in the future, the seniors listed a Ph.D. as their first choice followed by an MBA and a JD. These data are shown in Figure 24. An M.D. was seventh on this list while it was third on the list for those seniors going to graduate or a professional school in the fall. One could conclude that if seniors plan on going to medical school, they are much more likely to do it immediately following their undergraduate education. It s interesting to note that pursuing a Ph.D. was a second choice for those going to school in the Fall as well as for those pursuing a degree sometime in the future in 2006, while it was the third choice in both time frames for the 2002 survey. Table 8 compares the results of the 2006 and 2002 survey for the top four choices of degrees to pursue in the future. Figure 25 presents 2006 data broken down by school type. Figure 24 If you plan to pursue a degree in the future, what degree will you pursue? Ph.D. MBA J.D. Masters in Arts & Sciences Undecided Other Masters degree M.D. Other degree or certificate Masters in Engineering No future degree plans Professional doctorate Second bachelor's degree Table 8 Degree to Pursue in the Future Items 1 to 4 Rank Order Ph.D. MBA 2 MBA Masters 3 JD Ph.D. 4 Masters JD 17

22 Figure 25 Future degree plans listed by school type Womens Colleges Universities Ivies Ph.D. MD JD MBA Other Masters Other None V - Plans for the Fall following Graduation Sources of information for making decisions about future plans Figure 26 shows the responses for the questions asking whether or not career services on campus was useful for exploring career options or for locating employment. About a third of the seniors found career services at least somewhat important for exploring career options and slightly less than a third found them at least somewhat important for locating employment. Figure 27 shows that parents were most helpful in providing information that the seniors used to make decisions about their post graduate plans, followed by friends and former jobs or internships. Faculty advising was listed as the least helpful. These questions were new to the 2006 survey. Figure 26 How important are career services? not important somewhat important very important essential not applicable To explore career options To locate employment Figure 27 Where did you get information for your post graduate plans? Parents Students or friends Former job or internship Alumni very valuable moderately valuable Other faculty On-line job listings 18 Faculty advising

23 VI Financing Different sources that the seniors used for financing their educations. Figure 28 shows that parents were a major source of financing for the seniors, followed by the institution. These results are similar to those from the 2002 survey. Figure 28 How did you finance your education? Parental resources Your institution Other Personal Resources Other resources Major source Minor source Not a source Don't Know VI Financing Distribution of Grant Aid Figure 29 shows the distribution by institution type for grant aid that doesn t have to be repaid. The Women s colleges distributed the largest percentage of grant aid over $20,000 followed by the Coed Colleges, then the Ivies, and finally the Universities. This question was new to the 2006 survey. Figure 29 Grant Aid that you don't have to pay back > $20K $15K - $20K $10K - $15K $5K - $ 10K 1-$5K 5 0 Womens College Ivies Universities 19

24 VI Financing Personal borrowing Figure 30 shows the distribution of the amount of money that students borrowed shown by institution type. When one looks at the percentage of students who borrowed at least $20,000 the figures are: 18% of the students at Women s colleges, 13% of the students at coed Colleges, 19% at the Universities and 16% of the students at Ivies. The cumulative percentages are listed in Table 9. The number in parentheses is the difference from the percentage reported in the 2002 survey. It is clear that fewer students borrowed money in 2006 than in 2002 for the majority of the ranges. 16 Figure 30 Total amount that you borrowed > $30K $25K - $30K $20K - $25K $15K - $20K $10K - $15K $5K - $ 10K 1-$5K 0 Universities Womens Ivies Colleges Table Cumulative Percentages of Student Borrowing by School Type Difference from 2002 Shown in Parentheses Borrowed at least Ivies Universities Colleges Women s $1-$5K 38 (-10) 44 (-6) 40 (-7) 55 (-10) $5-$10K 33 (-10) 40 (-7) 35 (-7) 51 (-9) $10-$15K 27 (-9) 34 (-7) 29 (-6) 44 (-10) $15-20K 21 (-5) 26 (-7) 22 (-3) 32 (-9) $20-25K 16 (-2) 19 (-4) 13 (-2) 18 (-5) $25-30K 11 (-1) 13 (-1) 8 (-1) 12 (-3) >$30K 8 (0) 10 (+1) 5 (-1) 8 (-2) 20

25 VI Financing Impact on family Figure 31 shows the level of impact on the student s family for paying for the student s education. The impact was severe for at least 10% of the families, considerable for slightly more than a third and moderate for about a third. It s fair to say that the impact was at least considerable for roughly half of the families. These results are very similar to those for the 2002 survey. Figure 31 Impact on your family of paying for your education moderate considerable severe Womens Universities Ivies Colleges VII Spending time Participating in different activities Figure 32 shows the percentage of seniors who participated in various activities in any year. More than half of the seniors participated in an internship or did volunteer service. More than 40% did independent research and about a third studied abroad. These results are similar to those for the 2002 survey. Figure 32 What activities did you particiapate in? internship in US in any year volunteer service in any year independent research for credit in any year study abroad in any year intramural sports in any year alcohol awareness session in any year religious or spiritual group in any year music/theater group in any year racial/cultural awareness workshop in any year faculty research for credit in any year faculty research for no credit in any year cultural/ethnic club in any year sexual harrassment seminar or workshop in any year intercollegiate athletics in any year fraternity or sorority in any year club sports in any year political club in any year publish or present a paper in any year internship abroad in any year student government in any year off campus study in US in any year

26 VII Spending time Time spent during the week Figure 33 shows how seniors spend their time during the week. The figure displays only the distribution of choices ranging from 6-10 hours up to >26 hours. It s clear that seniors are spending a significant amount of time either attending classes or labs or working on course material. The next block of time is spent socializing, with working for pay being the next block. These results are similar to those for the 2002 survey. Figure 33 How much time did you spend doing the following? work on scheduled courses outside of class or labs using a computer for academic work intercollegiate athletics electronic communications other academic work other socializing with friends computer games, surfing the net working for pay scheduled classes or labs clubs/organized groups watching TV partying other exercise/fitness volunteer work club sports talking with faculty outside of class intramural sports > VIII Living arrangements Figure 34 shows the distribution of where students lived during their education. The figure illustrates the movement in the second year into interest houses, fraternities and sororities and both on and off campus apartments. In the junior year, students who studied abroad are reflected in the results. In their senior year, about a third of the students were living in off campus apartments and the percentages of students in the other living arrangements didn t differ significantly from those of their junior year. Additional research would be necessary to determine if the increase in the number of students living in off campus apartments is related to students returning from studying abroad or not. These results are similar to those for the 2002 survey. 22

27 Figure 34 Where did you live? residence hall interest house fraternity or sorority on-campus apartements off-campus apartments with parents or relatives abroad program First year Second year Third year Fourth year IX Distribution of ethnic/racial groups Figure 35 shows the relative distribution of different ethnic/racial groups in the student population. Table 10 compares the 2006 to the 2002 data. Figure 35 Percentage of Ethnic/Racial Groups White Asian Hispanic Black Native American Native Hawiian Table 10 Ethnic/Racial Group Comparison 2006 to White Asian Hispanic Black Native American Native Hawiian

28 X - Educational level of parents Figure 36 shows the distribution of the educational level of the students parents. Close to half of both mothers and fathers have graduate or professional degrees. Of the remaining, over a quarter have a bachelor s degree. About 10% of both mothers and fathers have either a high school diploma or some post secondary experience other than a degree. There were slight differences between the 2006 and 2002 survey. These are shown in Table 11. Figure 36 Distribution of Parents' Educational Level Highest degree - Mother Highest degree - Father graduate or professional degree bachelor's degree some college postsecondary other than degree High school No high school Table 11 Percentage of Seniors Distributed by Educational Level of Parents 2006 to 2002 No High High School Post Secondary Some College School Graduate School Bachelors Plus Post Graduate Mother Father

29 Figure 37 shows the distribution of the parents degrees. Mothers were more likely to have a Masters degree than any other degree. Fathers most likely advanced degree was also a Masters but they showed higher levels in other post baccalaureate degrees as well. Table 12 compares the results from the 2006 to 2002 surveys. All the Masters percentages were combined for the 2006 and 2002 surveys because of differences in questions between the two surveys Mothers reflect a slight decrease in Masters with increases in all other degrees Fathers show an increase in Masters and Ph.D.s with a decrease of M.D. and JD degrees. Figure 37 Distrbution of Parents' Degrees Mothers degree Fathers degree Masters in Arts & Sciences or Engineering Professional Masters Other Masters Professional doctorate Ph.D. MD JD Table 12 Percentage of Seniors Distributed by Professional Degree of Parents 2006 to 2002 All Masters Professional Doctorate Ph.D. M.D. JD Mother Father

30 Figure 38 presents the distribution of first generation students, where neither parent graduated from college, by the various schools. The Women s colleges at 17%, are clearly enrolling more first generation students than are the other schools. The other schools are almost identical to each other at around 11%. Table 13 compares the data for the 2006 and 2002 surveys. There was an increase of first generation students in all types of institutions. Again, the Women s colleges showed the largest increase of eight percentage points. Figure 38 Percent First Generation Students Women's Universities Ivies Colleges Table 13 Percentage of First Generation Students 2006 to Women s Universities Ivies 11 9 Colleges