How Do College Students Select Their Majors?

1. How Do College Students Select Their Majors? Group 4: Tara M Bellofatto Jessica Collins Gergana Galiatsatos Vitaliy Konev Tom C Vogdes

2. Data Collection • Population • All current and former students • Ages 17 to any age • All genders • All ethnicities • All social statuses • All marital statuses

3. Data Collection • Method – Survey • Part 1: General Information • Gender • Age (18 and below/ 19-21 / above 21) • Ethnicity • Social Class (working/middle/upper) • Marital Status • Have you changed your major?

4. Data Collection • Survey • Part 2: Major Selection Factors (12) • Future income; • Interest in the field; • Ease of study; • Following your role model; • High school influence; • Random selection, etc. Rank the influence of each factor on selection of his/her major, from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest)

6. Data Collection • Our Sample - 62 people : • 98% current students (from 3 different colleges) • 63% females • 56% age 19-21 • 68% whites • 87% middle class • 95% singles • 63% never changed their major

8. Analysis • For the whole sample: • Top 3 factors (most influence): • Interest in the field • Job availability • Future income • Bottom 3 factors (least influence): • Friends’ influence • Random selection • Appropriate for my gender

9. Analysis

10. Analysis - Age • Top 3 factors for 18 and below: • Interest in the field • Future income • Challenge of course material • Top 3 factors for above 21: • Interest in the field • Job availability • Future income

12. Analysis - Age

13. Analysis - Age • Younger students (18 and below): • focus more on course material and studying; • don’t think about future jobs yet; • desire financial independence; Reason: most of them still live with their parents and financially depend on them. • Older students (above 21): • realize importance of the job availability factor; Reasons:  depend on their parents much less;  had Co-ops and have part time jobs now.

14. Analysis - Gender • Top 3 factors for males: • Interest in the field • Future income • Job availability • Top 3 factors for females: • Interest in the field • Job availability • Future income

15. Analysis - Gender

16. Analysis - Gender • Males chose future income because: • of their role as the provider • thought of as the “bread winners” • have been socialized into a more dominant role • Females chose job availability because: • need for job security • resistance entering into highly demanding, aggressive careers

17. Analysis - Ethnicity • Top 3 factors for Whites & Asians: • Interest in the field • Future income • Job availability • Top 3 factors for African Americans: • Interest in the field • Job availability • High school influence

18. Analysis - Ethnicity

19. Analysis - Ethnicity • African Americans have defined high school influence as a very important factor: • They don’t have the same resources as other ethnic groups; • Rely on scholarships earned during high school years. • Asians ignore ease of study factor: • Particular interest in challenging majors like Physics, Statistics, etc. • Asian culture emphasizes importance of high achievement and challenge

20. Analysis – Social Status • Top 3 factors for Middle & Upper Class: • Interest in the field • Job availability • Future income • Top 3 factors for Working Class: • Job availability • Interest in the field • Future income

21. Analysis – Social Status

22. Analysis – Social Status • Upper class: • wishes to maintain their high social status • Middle class: • have the option of choosing between different jobs offers • aiming for higher status • Working class: • the only group in our sample who selected job availability as most important factor • need to be able to go to work immediately to support oneself or family

23. Analysis – Change of Major • Top 3 factors for YES (changed major): • Interest in the field • Future income • Job availability • Top 3 factors for NO (did not change major): • Interest in the field • Job availability • Future income

24. Analysis – Change of Major

25. Analysis – Change of Major • Students who DID change their majors: • Are more concerned about their future income • Less interested in actual jobs • Students who DIDNOT change their majors: • are more interested in their major field; • are more intrigued by future job opportunities

26. Further Testing • Larger sample: • More people; • More colleges; • Randomness of sample • Different survey: • Focus on specific hypothesis; • Use on-line survey

27. Further Testing • Interviews: • To get qualitative data • More details • Students as well as professionals involved in college decision process • Secondary analysis: • Reference past research for further comparison

28. Questions