Cooperative Institutional Research Program

In the fall of 2008, 275 first-year Houghton College students completed a Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) survey sponsored by UCLA.  Participating institutions received a detailed profile of their entering first-year students, as well as national normative data for students in similar types of institutions.

Houghton College first-year students were compared with 15,486 first-year students from other highly selective Protestant 4-year colleges and 34,122 first-year students from other Protestant 4-year colleges.

The full report is available on an Excel spreadsheet. If you wish read the entire report, e-mail daryl.stevenson@houghton.edu for a copy. 



First-Year Student CIRP Survey Summary for 2008

(Abridged)

                                                                                                               Updated June, 2008

Houghton 
%
Hi Selective 
Protestant
%
Protestant 
%
Grades 

Average high school grade

A or A-





72.2




59.5




47.1
Distance from Home 

101-500 miles



46.2


439.3


35.3
Estimated Family Income 

Family income less than $60,000



54.4


31.0


41.4
Status of Parents 

Parents living with each other



86.0


77.6


71.1
From what kind of high school did you graduate?

Public school

Private religious/parochial school

Home school



65.0

19.3

11.7




70.2

13.5

2.0



74.9

12.8

2.2
Activities Engaged in During the Past Year 

Attended a religious service

Performed volunteer work

Discussed religion

Played a musical instrument

Discussed politics

Used the Internet to read blogs

 

98.9

95.2

63.4

75.5

35.7

17.3
 

83.0

89.5

41.5

53.3

39.5

24.7
 

85.7

86.7

39.1

47.2

33.4

24.7
Students Rated Self Above Average 

or Highest 10% in

Academic ability

Cooperativeness

Spirituality

Drive to Achieve

Understanding of others


 


73.2

72.7

71.6

69.4

65.8
 
 


75.8

74.1

45.4

74.3

68.3
 
 


65.4

73.1

47.3

73.7

66.1
College Choice 

This college was student's first choice



75.7


70.0


65.6
Other Colleges 

Applied to only 1 or 2 colleges



41.3


24.1


27.8
Reasons noted as very important
in deciding to go to this college


Attracted by the religious affiliation/orientation
of the college

College has a very good academic reputation

Fnancial assistance

Size of the college

A visit to campus




75.3


70.5

62.8

59.2

52.1



23.7


71.8

59.2

57.4

55.4



28.2


63.5

62.9

54.0

50.8
Objectives considered to be "essential"
or "very important"

Helping others who are in difficulty

Raising a family

Improving my understanding of other
countries and cultures

Developing a meaningful philosophy of life

Influencing social values

Becoming an authority in my field

Being very well off financially



83.3

78.8

62.4


59.5

56.9

48.1

32.2



72.1

74.3

58.7


55.6

46.6

55.7

62.3



72.6

77.7

51.4


51.5

47.8

57.6

69.0
Sources for Educational Expenses 

Parental or family aid—less than $3,000

My own resources—less than $1,000

Aid which need not be repaid—more than $3,000

Aid which must be repaid—more than $3,000


53.9

48.4

57.8

51.7


33.0

56.6

39.3

45.9


45.6

60.6

43.5

48.1
Hours per Week in the Last Year 

More than 6 hours studying or doing homework

More than 6 hours socializing with friends

More than 6 hours in exercise or sports

Less than 1 hour partying

More than 3 hours reading for pleasure

Less than 2 hours playing video/computer games

Online social networks



49.1

62.8

45.4

79.6

44.7

80.1

53.5


45.6
 
72.6

54.1

54.3

32.7

77.8

52.6


35.7
 
71.7

56.4

52.5

29.1

76.2

52.7
Student estimates chances are "very"
good" that she/he will

Get a job to help pay for college expenses

Make at least a "B" average

Be satisfied with your college

Discuss course content with students ouside of class

Participate in a study abroad program

Participate in volunteer or community
service work

Communicate regularly with your professors



74.7

71.2

72.3

61.3

47.1

45.1


44.4



49.2

64.8

62.6

53.4

44.5

38.2


45.4



49.1

62.5

56.4

45.4

31.0

33.4


39.2
Student agrees "strongly" or "somewhat"

Abortion should be legal

Matijuana should be legalized

It is important to have laws prohibiting
homosexual relationships

Same-sex couples should have the right to
legal marital status

The federal government is not doing enough to control
environmental pollution

A national health care plan is needed to cover
everybody's medical costs

Colleges have the right to ban extreme speakers
from campus

The federal government should raise taxes to
reduce the deficit

Dissent is a critical component of the political process

Addressing global warming should be a
federal priority


8.6

15.6

58.7


14.6


69.6


54.8


61.9


22.6


72.5

52.6


52.0

38.4

27.2


59.0


77.2


65.0


44.2


31.6


65.3

70.4


43.7

33.8

36.0


50.2


73.8


66.4


46.8


25.6


59.5

66.6
How would you characterize your
political beliefs?

Conservative or far right



59.2



29.2



32.51

<>

Probable Major

There were clear differences between men and women. Listed below are the top choices for Houghton men and women.


Houghton
%
Highly Selective
Protestant
%
Protestant
%
Men        

Music

Secondary Education

Biology

Physical Education or
Recreation

Business Administration

Physics

Theology or Religion

99

12.6

7.4

6.3

6.3


5.3 

5.3

4.2
6,473

4.8

2.0

5.2
 
1.0


5.4

1.6

1.5
14,220

3.6

3.7

4.0
 
2.9


6.6

0.9

2.1
Women 

Elementary Education

Music or Art Education

Medicine

English (language &
literature)

Psychology

Music

Secondary Education

176

12.4
 
6.5

6.5
 
5.9


5.9

4.7

4.7
9,013

5.2
 
1.3

5.1

3.9


6.0

3.6

2.3
19,902

8.2

1.4 

4.8

3.0


6.9

2.7

3.2









Probable Career

There were clear differences between men and women. Listed below are the top choices for Houghton men and women.


Houghton
%
Highly Selective
Protestant
%
Protestant
%
Men 

Teacher or administrator
(secondary)

Musician
(performer, composer)

Physician

Clergy

Accountant or actuary

Business executive
(mangaement, admistrator)

Computer programmer or
analyst

99

18.5


7.6


6.5

5.4

4.3

4.3


4.3
6,473

5.0


5.0


7.1

1.3

2.4

9.2


2.2
14,220

7.0


3.8


5.3

1.9

3.0

9.4


2.4
Women 

Teacher or administrator
(elementary)

Teacher or administrator
(secondary)

Writer or journalist

Physician

Musician (performer,
composer)

176

14.3


9.5


8.9

4.8

4.2
9,013

5.8


4.8


4.7

8.2

3.1
19,902

9.1


5.7 


3.8

6.1

2.3