UNLV freshman survey shows big interest in business

Wednesday, May 6, 1998 | 11 a.m.

First year students at UNLV mean business.

The largest percentage of those surveyed at the start of this school year, 38 percent to be exact, said they want business degrees.

The next highest percentages were for degrees in education and sciences -- 9 percent each.

In descending order of interest, percentages of those interested in particular fields of study are:

* 8 percent, health sciences. * 8 percent, liberal arts. * 7 percent, engineering. * 7 percent, fine arts. * 6 percent, urban affairs. * 5 percent, undecided. * 2 percent, other.

The survey was done by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) at the request of the American Council on Education and the Graduate School of Education and Information Services at the University of California, Los Angeles.

The comprehensive study, popularly called the "Freshman Survey," provides a profile of the American freshmen population for use in policy analysis and human resource planning, campus administration, educational research and guidance counseling.

The results of the survey appear in the Chronicles of Higher Education.

The 1997 survey resulted in 252,082 responses nationwide from students at 464 two- and four-year colleges and universities.

In August, 1,489 of UNLV's 3,229 freshmen responded to the Freshman Survey.

The survey revealed:

* 45.5 percent male and 54.5 percent female.

* 71 percent of the respondents were 20 years of age or younger and more than half were first-time, full-time freshmen. Most others were transfer students, and some were part-time freshmen.

* 56 percent of the freshmen graduated from high school in 1997, 27 percent graduated from high school before 1995.

* ethnic divisions included 67 percent white, 21 percent Asian, 9 percent Hispanic, 6 percent black and 5 percent Native American.

UNLV is a commuter college, with 93 percent living off-campus: 25 percent say their permanent residence is more than 500 miles from UNLV. However, 41 percent say their permanent home is fewer than 11 miles from UNLV and another 27 percent live between 11 and 50 miles from UNLV.

At least two-thirds of those entering college, indicated they will remain in Las Vegas after completing their education.

Among the freshmen, 54 percent of their fathers and 38 percent of their mothers have earned at least a bachelor's degree. The national norms at four- year colleges are 45 percent for fathers and 41 percent for mothers.

More than 65 percent of the UNLV freshmen indicated their parents were living together. According to a 1988 study, educational attainment was lower for children of divorced parents or from single-parent families than for children of still-married parents.

Most of those who are attending UNLV -- 70 percent -- made it their first choice and another 20 percent said it was their second choice. More than 55 percent did not even apply to another school.

Though 93 percent of the freshmen live off campus, 90 percent of those say they plan to participate in activities on campus after class hours.

Many, 65 percent, have some concern about financing college. More than 55 percent expect to work while attending college. Almost 25 percent say they will work full time.

The UNLV Office of Planning, Assessment and Institutional Research is analyzing the Freshman Survey data and other assessment reports.