Survey shows positive experience for sophomores

Ninety-seven percent of sophomores rated their overall experience as either good or excellent, according to a survey released by NAU’s Office of Planning, Budget and Institutional Research.

The annual survey of sophomore students assesses their satisfaction and opinions about their experiences at the university while covering a broad area of topics such as advising, registration, course availability, campus features, faculty, general academics, and their overall NAU experience. They were also asked about their perceived development in certain skills, time management and success in social areas.

Sophomores were very positive in rating their experiences at NAU:

  • Ninety-five percent of sophomores are satisfied with the quality of faculty instruction, and 90 percent of sophomores are satisfied with the availability of faculty.
  • Eighty percent of sophomores were “satisfied” or “very satisfied” with academic advising.
  • The majority of sophomores indicated satisfaction when evaluating campus features. On-campus computer labs and opportunities for involvement were rated highest.
  • Sophomores said the most important university services on campus were computer labs (94 percent) and academic advising (93 percent). Their least important services were planned social activities (65 percent) and peer mentoring (65 percent).

When asked to identify the factors in their decision to attend NAU, the top three most commonly cited reasons were location (24 percent), availability of financial aid (24 percent), and the specific reputation of a major or program of interest (11 percent).

To review the complete report online, click here.