Volume 3, Issue 3
Winter 2000

Demographic information can assist faculty and administrators in understanding and identifying the student entering class. This annual edition shares a profile of the new students with the PSU community.

The entering class, consisting of 3,110 students, represents 27% of the undergraduate student body. The size of the entering class increased by 271 students (10%) over last year.

Two types of students comprise the entering class: first-time freshmen (36%) and transfers (64%).

First-time freshmen are students who come directly from high school (78%), transfer fewer than 30 college credits to PSU (18%), or obtain a GED (4%). Of those entering PSU directly from high school, 86% come from Oregon high schools. The remaining 14% are students from other states, foreign students, or students with GEDs.

Transfers are students who come to PSU with at least 30 hours of college credit. Most transfer 90 to 134 credit hours (47%) or 45 to 89 credit hours (34%) to PSU.

The majority of first-time freshmen (83%) and transfer students (72%) attend PSU on a full-time basis. The proportion of full-time first-time freshmen students is the same as last year, whereas the proportion of entering transfer students attending PSU full-time increased slightly (2%). The residency status of first-time freshmen and transfers indicate that a large majority, 82%, claimed Oregon residency. This proportion of residents is consistent with 1998 figures.

The average age of first-time freshmen upon entering PSU is 19 years. As with previous entering classes, the transfer students are older than first-time freshmen; their average age is 25. The proportion of men and women in the 1999 entering class is similar to previous years. Women represent 57% of all entering students.

One fifth (23%) of the entering student class are members of ethnic minorities. Another 3% are international students. The ethnicity of 8% of the entering class is unknown because these students declined to provide ethnic information.

The largest minority group of entering students is Asian/Pacific Islander (10%). African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans and people of multiple ethnic backgrounds together constitute 10% of the entering class at PSU.

The overall proportion of new students from ethnic minorities are similar to past years, however, the Hispanic population of transfer students has increased from 3% in 1997 to 5% in 1999.

For first-time freshmen, high school grade point average (GPA) and Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores are commonly used as indicators of academic preparedness. The mean high school GPA for 1999 first-time freshmen is 3.11 and the average composite SAT score is 1017. These scores are similar to (albeit slightly lower than) the GPA and SAT scores of the 1998 first-time freshmen (3.14 and 1020 respectively).

Although most first-time freshmen (22%) are undecided about their major upon entering PSU and many change majors before graduating, those students who declared a major listed Psychology and Computer Science most often (5% for each major). This reflects the national trend closely, which includes Psychology and Computer Science among the top five most popular majors, along with Elementary Education, Business Administration and Pre-medicine (The Chronicle of Higher Education, Jan. 28, 2000).

New freshmen and transfer students exhibit many similarities but also differ in important ways that administrators and faculty should keep in mind when planning programs and services focused on new students. Note that the two largest categories of entering students are at different ends of the spectrum; the majority of first-time freshmen come directly from high school while most transfers enter PSU with 90-134 credit hours. Transfer students and first-time freshman also differ in age, but are similar in terms of their ethnic and gender composition.

This edition describes the demographic characteristics of the entering student class. The Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) is currently conducting a survey of these students to find out more about them; for example, their reasons for attending PSU, educational plans, academic experiences, and satisfaction with the institution. This additional information will be available when OIRP had compiled and posted the results, toward the end of Spring Term. For more information, please contact Juliette Stoering, Institutional Research Analyst, at stoerij@oirp.pdx.edu or at (503) 725-3432.