A Profile of First Time Full-Time Freshmen Entering Cal State San Marcos in Fall 2005:
Key Findings From the CIRP Freshman Survey
During the seven Summer 2005 orientation sessions for new students at California State University
San Marcos, time was set aside for entering freshmen to complete the comprehensive Freshman Survey
distributed annually by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA. Of the 789 prospective students
who completed the survey, 750 enrolled as first time full-time freshmen in Fall 2005.1 They represent
95% of all first time freshmen entering in that term and are the focus of this discussion.
Following a brief overview of major findings, the Overview of Findings provides a more detailed
description of the responses of newly admitted San Marcos students to a range of survey questions.
Appendix B puts the 2005 CSUSM data in longitudinal perspective by comparing them with similar data
gathered during the 1999-2004 period. Along with the San Marcos data, Tables 1 - 4 present the weighted
responses of nearly 52,000 students at 53 public four-year colleges.2 This group of comparison
institutions includes a geographically diverse array of public universities including 18 other CSU
campuses.3
When compared to the students at similar institutions, the first time San Marcos freshmen are
distinctive in several respects. They are more likely than other students to be female, less likely to have
English as their native language, and more likely to be members of racial and ethnic minority groups, with
Latino\a and Asian respondents especially numerous. They are much more likely to be commuter students
(i.e., living with parents or relatives and within 50 miles of the campus) and are also more likely than
1
Whether respondents were classified as a first time, full-time freshman was determined from their survey
responses. Thus, this classification may not always correspond to CSU definitions of their status. A number of the
CSUSM respondents (n=39) did not enroll during the Fall 2005 term; they have been eliminated from the response
sample considered here.
2
Such colleges are defined as institutions that offer an array of bachelor's degree programs and may offer postbaccalaureate programs, but few, if any, doctoral programs.
3
Other CSU campuses include Bakersfield, Dominguez Hills, Channel Islands, Fresno, Hayward, Los
Angeles, Long Beach, Monterrey Bay, Northridge, Pomona, San Diego, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Sonoma
and Stanislaus.
respondents elsewhere to say they are attending CSUSM because their parents wanted them to. More than
83% of San Marcos freshmen have no major concerns about financing their college educations and are
more likely than those elsewhere to expect to rely on their family for resources to cover their first-year
expenses and less likely than others to rely on loans, scholarships and grants. One in three Cal State San
Marcos respondents say they plan to get a job to help pay for school expenses, a percentage that has
declined since 2003.
Although 59% of the San Marcos freshman respondents say the campus was their first choice, they
are somewhat less likely to express this sentiment than respondents at the comparison institutions and
somewhat more likely to have applied to three or more other institutions. San Marcos students’ reasons
for choosing to attend this campus are distinct in several ways. They are more likely than students
elsewhere to say it was very important to live near home and less likely to say that four other factors were
very important: the university’s academic reputation, the good jobs obtained by CSUSM graduates, the
low cost to attend and the receipt of financial aid. They are also somewhat less likely than other
respondents to say there is a “very good” chance they will stay at CSUSM.
When considering a variety of wide-ranging self-perceptions (see section 2 in Table 4) of their
intellectual traits (e.g., academic ability, computer skills) and personality traits (e.g., cooperativeness,
drive to achieve) and emotional and physical health, San Marcos freshmen exhibit no significant
differences from their public institution counterparts.
San Marcos respondents are equally likely to be recent high school graduates who live in largely
middle class homes and have parents with at least some college education. They tend to be somewhat
younger, and more likely to perform community service as a high school graduation requirement. Even
though the San Marcos students did well in their high school classes, with most reporting that they
received As or Bs in their courses, they are less likely than their counterparts elsewhere to be “A” students
and to expect to earn at least a “B” average in college. Otherwise, San Marcos respondents’ reasons for
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seeking a college education, their expectations about college, and their life objectives are similar to those
of students at other public four-year colleges.
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Overview of Findings
Background and Demographic Characteristics
 The vast majority of the Fall 2005 freshmen at Cal State San Marcos, like those at the comparison
institutions, are 18 or 19 years of age and are U.S. citizens whose native language is English. Somewhat
more of the San Marcos respondents are women (66% vs. 56%) when compared to the comparison
institution responses. (see sections 1-5 in Table 1).
 Approximately three-fifths of the San Marcos respondents are white, while over one-quarter have
Latino backgrounds; the remainder belong to other racial minority groups (see section 3 in Table 1). 4 In
comparison to students at other public four-year colleges, African American and Caucasian students are
underrepresented among the San Marcos freshmen, while Asian, Latino/a, and Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
students are overrepresented. In keeping with the diversity of student backgrounds, the San Marcos
respondents are less likely than students at the comparison institutions to be native English-speakers.
 The current religious preferences of the San Marcos freshmen are varied, with Catholic students the
most numerous (see section 7 in Table 1). The San Marcos students cluster less heavily in the Protestant
denominations than students at the comparison institutions.
 Half of the freshmen entering CSUSM in Fall 2005 come from families with annual incomes of at
least $75,000. One-third come from homes in which their parents earn more than $100,000 per year, a
higher proportion than the 25% of comparison institution families with a similar income level (see section
8 in Table 1).
 Over two-fifths (43%) of the Fall 2005 freshmen at CSUSM report that their fathers have a college
or graduate degree, as do 38% of their mothers (see sections 9-10 in Table 1). Compared to the students at
other public four-year colleges, the San Marcos students are somewhat less likely to have fathers or
mothers with no more than a high school education (32% vs. 38% for fathers, and 31% vs. 34% for
mothers).
 The political views of the freshmen entering CSUSM in Fall 2005 are very similar to those of
students at the comparison institutions with just under half (46%) characterizing themselves as "middleof-the-road" politically.
 Seven in ten of the Fall 2005 San Marcos respondents report that their permanent homes are within
50 miles of campus and 52% of respondents expect to live with parents or relatives during the fall term
(see sections 12-13 in Table 1). In contrast, only 25% of comparison institution students expect to live
with parents or relatives, in part because 53% say their permanent homes are located more than 50 miles
from campus. The disparity in the percentages of San Marcos and comparison institution students that
plan to live at home exists despite the opening of on-campus housing in Fall 2003, although predictably,
the difference is not as large as in 2002 when over 70% of San Marcos freshmen planned to live at home.
4
Because respondents could say they belonged to more than one racial or ethnic group, the degree to which
the sum of the subgroup percentages in section 3 of Table 1 exceeds 100% indicates the extent to which students
consider themselves multi-racial. The total for the San Marcos respondents is 109% and 105% for students at the
comparison institutions.
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Adequacy of High School Preparation and Degree Plans
 Virtually all of the freshmen entering Cal State San Marcos in Fall 2005 graduated from high
school in 2005 and nearly half (47%) attended high schools in which community service was required for
graduation (see sections 1 and 2 in Table 2). As in all past survey years (since 1999), a community service
requirement is more prevalent in the San Diego area than at the high schools attended by first time
freshmen at the comparison institutions. For 2005, only 29% of the latter completed a community service
requirement compared to 47% of the San Marcos students.
 Over three-fourths of the Fall 2005 CSUSM freshmen reported receiving B grades in high school
(see section 3 in Table 2). Compared to the freshmen at other public four-year colleges, the San Marcos
students are less likely to report generally receiving A grades in high school (17% vs. 35%).
 Respondents' estimates of the activities on which they spent more than five hours per week during
their last year of high school are in Section 4 of Table 2. Nearly three-fourths of CSUSM freshmen
reported spending at least five hours socializing with their friends, while 64% spent more than five hours
a week working for pay. Almost one-half (48%) also spent considerable time on exercise or sports. About
one-quarter of the San Marcos respondents listed three additional activities to which they devoted at least
five hours per week during their last year of high school: studying/doing homework, watching TV, and
partying. The San Marcos freshman responses are virtually identical to those at the comparison
institutions.
 Two new items on the survey this year looked at whether San Marcos respondents received any
special tutoring in a variety of subject areas while in high school and whether they anticipate needing
tutoring while in college (see sections 5 and 6 in Table 2). No more than one in ten respondents report
receiving special tutoring or remedial work in high school in any area other than Mathematics. In
Mathematics, San Marcos respondents were slightly more likely than others to report assistance (17% vs.
13%). In contrast, one-third of incoming freshmen at San Marcos anticipate needing academic help with
Mathematics and more than one in ten also expect to need help with writing (20%), English (14%),
science (15%), and foreign languages (15%). San Marcos respondents are somewhat more likely to
anticipate needing special assistance in these areas than respondents from comparison institutions.
 Nearly one-half (45%) of the Fall 2005 San Marcos freshmen expect to earn a Master’s degree or
its equivalent (e.g., LLB), while more than two-thirds (36%) expect to earn no more than a Bachelor's
degree (see section 7 in Table 2).
 More than one in four of the new CSUSM freshmen plan to major in Business, 11% plan for an
Education major and 12% plan to specialize in a social science (see section 8 in Table 2).5 The percentage
of respondents selecting a professional major (e.g. health professions) increased from 5% in previous
years to 12% this year. This increase is likely due to the anticipated availability of a major in nursing
beginning Fall 2006.
5
The social science percentage is derived by combining the social science and communication categories in
section 7 of Table 2, while the natural science percentage combines the biological science, physical science, and
computer science categories.
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Factors Entering into College Choice and Plans for Financing College Educations
 More than half of the freshmen entering Cal State San Marcos in Fall 2005 applied to three or more
colleges (see sections 1 and 2 in Table 3). Even though CSUSM serving as respondents’ first or second
choice 87% of the time, freshmen at the comparison institutions are somewhat more likely than the San
Marcos respondents to be attending their first choice institution (68% vs. 59%).
 More than four-fifths (83%) of the San Marcos respondents think they will have sufficient funds to
complete their college educations, though two-thirds (65%) have at least some concerns that they may not
(see section 3 in Table 3).
 Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the CSUSM freshmen expect to rely on their own resources or those of
their families to meet a major portion of the expenses associated with attending college (i.e., fees, room,
and board). Almost one-fifth plan to rely on non-repayable aid (i.e., grants) to cover their expenses, while
11% expect to rely on repayable aid (i.e., loans) for as much as $3,000 of their first year’s expenses (see
section 4 of Table 3). A higher percentage of respondents at the comparison institutions expect to rely on
repayable aid (24% vs. 11%) and non-repayable aid (30% vs. 19%), while the percentage of CSUSM
freshmen expecting to rely on family resources is higher (56% vs. 43%).
 Much like freshmen elsewhere, approximately three-quarters of the freshmen entering Cal State San
Marcos in Fall 2005 cited three factors that were very important in their decision to attend college:
enhancing their ability to make more money, getting a better job, and learning about things of interest to
them (see section 5 in Table 3). Other reasons cited by a majority of the San Marcos respondents were a
desire to get training for a specific career, to gain a general education, to prepare for graduate or
professional school, to find their purpose in life, and because their parents wanted them to go. The latter
reason was cited by 55% San Marcos freshmen as a very important reason in deciding to go to college in
contrast to 47% of the freshmen at comparison institutions.
 Respondents' reasons for deciding to attend CSUSM in particular are more varied than their reasons
for deciding to go to college (see section 6 in Table 3). The reasons most frequently named as very
important are the desire to live near home, the college’s very good academic reputation, the size of
CSUSM, its low tuition, and CSUSM graduates get good jobs. San Marcos respondents are more likely
than comparison institution freshmen to express a desire to live near home (38% vs. 24%), while less
likely to mention four other reasons: the institution’s academic reputation (31% vs. 48%), the good jobs
obtained by its graduates (29% vs. 43%), the low tuition (30% vs. 44%), and an offer of financial
assistance (16% vs. 28%).6
Students' Self Perceptions
 The Freshmen Survey includes a question that asks students to assess the chances that they will
make certain personal decisions while in college or engage in a range of academic and extra-curricular
activities (see section 1 in Table 4). Three-fifths of San Marcos freshmen consider it very likely that they
will socialize with someone of a different racial/ethnic group. One-third (35%) expect to get a job to help
6
The San Marcos freshmen are also somewhat less likely than respondents at the comparison institutions to
cite that graduates gain admission to top schools (16% vs. 23%) or rankings in national magazines (5% vs. 11%) as
reasons for attending their particular college.
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pay for college expenses, fewer than the 48% of respondents from similar respondents elsewhere.7 Much
like their counterparts at the other campuses, four of five San Marcos respondents expect be satisfied with
and stay at CSUSM. No more than 29% of the San Marcos students think it very likely that they will do
any of the other things considered.
 The Fall 2005 San Marcos respondents differ from their counterparts elsewhere in several other
respects. They are less likely than others to expect make at least a “B” average in college (47% vs. 57%),
to play varsity/intercollegiate athletics (8% vs. 15%) and to participate in student clubs or groups (29%
vs. 36%). They are more likely to expect to change their major (23% vs. 13%), and somewhat more likely
to change their career choice (17% vs. 12%).
 Another question on the Freshman Survey asks respondents to indicate whether they are above
average or outstanding (i.e., among the top 10% in their age group) on a series of intellectual and
personality traits (see section 2 in Table 4). Well over half of the Fall 2005 San Marcos freshmen see
themselves as above average or outstanding on three intellectual traits: creativity, leadership ability, and
intellectual self-confidence. San Marcos freshmen are virtually identical to their counterparts in almost all
of the traits, exhibiting only minor differences.8
 Asked to rate the importance of a series of diverse life objectives (see section 3 in Table 4), a
sizeable percentage of freshmen entering Cal State San Marcos in Fall 2005 indicated two personal
objectives were essential or very important to them: being well off financially (81%) and raising a family
(78%). In addition, at least one-half think it is essential or very important to help others who are in
difficulty (63%), become an authority in their fields (54%), and obtain recognition from colleagues for
their contributions to their special fields (52%). Overall, a remarkable similarity exists among the San
Marcos freshmen and their counterparts at the comparison institutions regarding the importance of any of
the various life objective areas.
7
The percentage of San Marcos respondents who indicate they plan to get a job to help pay college expenses has
declined for the past few years from 56% in 2003 to 35% in 2005 (see section 1 Table A4).
8
The San Marcos respondents are somewhat less likely than respondents at the comparison institutions to view
their academic ability as above-average (50% and 61%).
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