March 11, 2010

ISU freshmen tend to be more conservative than their peers

by Anne Krapfl

During orientation last June, 3,128 incoming Iowa State freshmen voluntarily participated in the annual Cooperative Institutional Research Program survey, coordinated since 1971 by the Higher Education Research Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles. The survey collects data about high school experiences and preparation for college, personal values and goals, family demographics, political and social views, and expectations for their higher education. Nationally, nearly 220,000 students at 297 colleges and universities participated.

The survey includes about 40 questions asked of all participants; each year Iowa State adds about 20 questions specific to ISU students. Following are a few results from last summer's survey, including comparisons with freshmen at a group of peer schools and ISU freshmen from 10 years ago.

Comprehensive results of the 2009 survey will be posted very soon on the Institutional Research web site.

2009 freshman survey results


Question      		  2009 ISU
%		 2009 peers*
%		 1999 ISU
%
Highest academic degree planned
(at any school)		      
  Bachelor's 39.0 27.3 37.4
  Master's 36.6 45.0 37.0
  Ph.D. or Ed.D. 12.5 14.7 13.6
  Professional doctorate 7.7 7.6 8.4
  Doctorate in law 2.1 3.3 1.6
  Other      2.1 2.1 2.0
Self-characterization of political views      
  Far left 1.2 2.8 1.4
  Liberal 22.9 30.3 21.6
  Middle of the road 45.3 45.2 54.7
  Conservative 28.0 19.9 21.2
  Far right 2.6 1.8 1.1
Student agrees strongly or somewhat      
  Abortion should be legal 52.9 63.2 52.8
  Marijuana should be legal 35.3 51.9 26.6
  Colleges should prohibit racist/sexist speech on campus 71.0 68.8 59.4
  There is too much concern in the courts for the rights of criminals 57.4 54.2 75.1
  Same-sex couples should have the right to marry legally 56.0 70.8 51.0
  Racial discrimination no longer is a major problem in America 27.0 24.4 24.3
Goals student views as "essential" or "very important"    
  Becoming a community leader 33.3 30.8 30.1
Obtaining recognition from
colleagues for contributions to my field		 56.0 55.6

49.2
  Raising a family 77.3 76.0 73.0
  Being very well off financially 79.9 79.4 72.7
  Becoming involved in programs to
clean up the environment		 23.9 24.3 14.9
  Achieving success
in my own business 		37.0 37.5 32.3
  Keeping up to date with political affairs 29.9 34.4 23.3
  Helping others who are in difficulty 60.7 63.6 49.4
Student's concern about ability to finance
his or her education:		      
  None 31.9 32.7 29.9
  Some (but probably will have enough) 61.6 58.9 61.1
  Major (not sure I'll be able to finish) 6.6 8.5 9.0
Likelihood of staying in Iowa after college:      
  Very good chance 23.2 NA 21.4
  Some chance 44.0 NA 45.5
  Very little chance 25.6 NA 26.8
  No chance 7.2 NA 6.4

*2009 peer group: 10 public universities with medium admissions selectivity: Colorado State, North Dakota State, Ohio University, Texas Tech, University of Hawaii at Manoa, University of Louisville, University of Massachusetts at Amherst, University of New Hampshire, University of Utah and Iowa State