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

CIRP Surveys Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) established in 1966 at American Council on Education CIRP transferred to UCLA in th 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 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 Orientation2006Change from 2005 Liberal 28.4% (highest since 1975) +1.3% Middle-of-the-Road 43.3% (lowest since 1970) -1.7% Conservative 23.9% (highest in history) +1.3% Political shift away from center

Political Orientation and Views Political shift away from center

Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat” 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% 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

Noticeable differences along ideological lines Attitudes on Social/Political Issues Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”LiberalsConservatives The death penalty should be abolished 48.0%22.5% Marijuana should be legalized52.5%23.5% A national health plan is needed to cover everybody’s medical costs 83.9%57.0%

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 Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat”LiberalsConservatives 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 Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat” Liberal/ Far Left Middle-of- the-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%

Attitudes on Social/Political Issues Political Orientation Agree “Strongly or “Somewhat” Liberal/ Far Left Middle-of- the-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%

Civic Commitment and Concerns

Institutional Type Black Colleges “Essential” or “Very Important” Objectives All Baccalaureate Institutions All Black Colleges PublicPrivate Helping others who are in difficulty66.7%76.5%75.0%79.5% Becoming a community leader35.2%52.7%49.8%58.3% Influencing social values42.5%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%

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

Concerns about College Finances “Major” concerns about financing college based on family income

College Choice and Finances

College Choice 2006 – 67.3% attending first choice Lowest level since 1988 (66.7%)

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 College Choice and Finances

Impact of Finances on College Choice Considered cost “very important” Freshmen attending first-choice institution29.1% Freshmen attending second-choice institution37.4% Freshmen attending third-choice institution40.4% Finances of greater concern for students attending second- and third-choice institutions

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 Impact of Finances on College Choice

Attending "Very Important" Reason for Attending this College1 st Choice2 nd Choice 3 rd Choice 4 th Choice and Lower This college has a very good academic reputation This college's graduates get good jobs A visit to campus I wanted to go to a school about the size of this college This college has a very good reputation for its social activities I was offered financial assistance This college's graduates gain admission to top graduate/professional schools

Impact of Finances on College Choice Attending "Very Important" Reason for Attending this College 1 st Choice2 nd Choice 3 rd Choice 4 th Choice and Lower The cost of attending this college I wanted to live near home Information from a website Rankings in national magazines Admitted through Early Action/Decision program Could not afford my first choice Not offered aid by my first choice

Reliance on Paid Work

Source of Aid for First Year 2006Change from 2000 Parents, other relatives, or friends82.2%-0.3% Other savings38.3%+6.3% Part-time job on campus29.0%+3.2% Part-time job off campus24.3%+2.4% Full-time job while in college4.7%+2.0%

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

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 White6.2%61.1%49.7%13.9% Black/African American7.4%49.8%38.6%7.6% American Indian6.5%62.1%48.7%31.7% Asian American/Pacific Islander 5.8%73.1%65.7%17.8% Latina/o5.1%67.7%59.4%13.7% Other/Unknown7.4%58.9%47.8%13.0% TOTAL6.3%61.7%50.9%14.9%

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 Half & Half All/mostly White Racial Composition of Neighborhood Where You Grew Up All/mostly non-White Half & Half All/mostly White TOTAL

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: Register for the 2007 CIRP Freshman Survey