Despite falling retention rates nationwide, a record 66.3 percent of this year's freshmen plan to earn graduate or advanced professional degrees, including an all-time high 38.9 percent aspiring to master's degrees and a record 15.1 percent planning to pursue Ph.D. or Ed. Greater 'success' in high school may be leading more students to have high expectations for college and beyond. Interest in elementary and secondary teaching careers rose again to its highest point in 23 years. Overall, 10.2 percent of freshmen report an interest in teaching, including 13.7 percent of female students and 5.7 percent of men, compared to 9.7 percent in 1995. And the number of freshmen planning to become lawyers hit a record low of 3.3 percent compared to a high in 1989 of 5.4 percent.
Political interest remains low even in an election year.
Student interest in keeping up to date with political issues remains weak. The number of students working on a political campaign fell to 6.6 percent this year from 7.6 percent in 1995 and a high of 16.4 percent in 1969. Those declaring themselves in the middle dropped from 54.3 percent in 1995 to 52.7 percent. Membership in the political extremes is growing. Social attitudes are changing.