Inside Archives
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April 14, 2006
ISU freshmen more conservative than their national peers
Selected results from the Freshmen Cooperative Institutional Research
Program (CIRP) by UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. Freshmen at
Iowa State and nearly 400 other universities and colleges most recently were
surveyed in fall 2005.
Politics |
ISU |
National |
Keeping up to date with political affairs (essential/very
important) |
28.4% |
38.0% |
Political orientation (conservative or far right) |
30.8 |
25.0 |
Political orientation (liberal or far left) |
22.8 |
31.6 |
Volunteerism |
Performed volunteer work during past year |
84.2 |
85.0 |
Very good chance of volunteering, doing community service in
college |
18.8 |
25.0 |
High school |
Average high school grade A+, A or A- |
53.7 |
54.8 |
Spent 6 or more hours per week studying/doing homework |
23.3 |
34.3 |
Family values (essential/very important) |
Raise a family |
78.5 |
75.0 |
Be very well off financially |
74.9 |
75.6 |
Develop a meaningful philosophy of life |
38.9 |
45.5 |
Religious involvement |
Attended religious services (frequently/occasionally) |
86.4 |
79.0 |
Spent any time per week in prayer or meditation |
63.9 |
61.6 |
Drinking, smoking and partying |
Drank beer in last year (frequently/occasionally) |
41.2 |
42.2 |
Drank wine or liquor in last year |
43.0 |
48.6 |
Spent 6 or more hours per week partying |
21.0 |
20.4 |
Smoked cigarettes in last year (frequently) |
3.6 |
4.7 |
Views on diversity |
Agree racial discrimination no longer a major problem in U.S. |
26.9 |
21.3 |
Believe it's essential/very important to promote racial
understanding |
18.6 |
32.8 |
Frequently socialized with someone of another racial/ethnic group during
past year |
54.0 |
66.4 |
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Summary
Fewer ISU freshmen keep up with political events than their counterparts
nationwide, but they rate religious involvement and raising a family higher
than their peers.
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