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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
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The American Freshman:National Norms for Fall 2006Sylvia 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 • 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 • Freshman Survey • Your First College Year (YFCY) • End of first year of college • College Senior Survey (CSS) • End of college experience • Survey instruments • Used in conjunction for longitudinal purposes • Revised annually to reflect changing concerns
2006 Freshman Norms • Based on weighted responses of 271,441 students at 393 4-year colleges and universities • 88% median institutional participation rate • Data statistically adjusted to reflect responses of 1.3 million first-time, full-time students
Presentation Outline • 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 • Increased prevalence of discussing politics in high school • 2006 – 33.8 percent (“frequently”) • 2004 – 25.5 percent (“frequently”)
Political Orientation and Views • Political shift away from center
Political Orientation and Views • Political shift away from center
Political Orientation and Views • Shift in attitudes from 2005 to 2006
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues • Differences in support for gay rights
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues • Differences in support for legalizing abortion
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues • Noticeable differences along ideological lines
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues • Affirmative action in college admissions should be abolished • 52.7% of conservative freshmen agree “strongly” or “somewhat” • 44.6% of liberal freshmen agree “strongly” or “somewhat”
Attitudes on Social/Political Issues • Modest differences along ideological lines
Concerns about College Finances • 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
“Major” concerns about financing college based on family income Concerns about College Finances
College Choice • 2006 – 67.3% attending first choice • Lowest level since 1988 (66.7%)
College Choice and Finances • Top 5 important reasons influencing college choice for students attending first-choice institution • Academic reputation • Graduates getting good jobs • Visit to campus • School size • Good social reputation
Impact of Finances on College Choice • Finances of greater concern for students attending second- and third-choice institutions
Impact of Finances on College Choice • Of students who were admitted but did not attend their first-choice institutions… • 34.0% could not afford their first choice • 20.7% did not receive aid from their first choice
AP Course-Taking and Exams • 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
Conclusions • 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 • Attention to financial support for low-income and middle-class 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