Needing Assistance with Educational/Occupational Plans
When students register for the ACT, they can complete a brief needs assessment where they can indicate whether they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans. Overall, 61% of females and 62% of males indicated that they need assistance from colleges in this area.
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by ACT Composite Score and Gender, 2013
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by ACT Composite Score and Gender, 2013
| ACT Composite Score Range |
Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| 1–15 | 57% | 60% |
| 16–19 | 57% | 59% |
| 20–23 | 61% | 62% |
| 24–27 | 67% | 65% |
| 28–32 | 74% | 68% |
| 33–36 | 75% | 68% |
Graph reads: 57% of females from the ACT-tested graduating class of 2013 with an ACT Composite score in the range of 16–19 indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Note: Based on 70% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported gender and answered at least one item of the five-question needs assessment when they registered for the ACT.
- As ACT Composite score increases, a greater percentage of students indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
- At the highest ACT Composite score ranges, a greater percentage of females than males indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by Planned Major Status and Gender, 2013
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by Planned Major Status and Gender, 2013
| Planned Major Status | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Selected a Planned Major | 60% | 61% |
| Undecided | 75% | 72% |
| Missing | 61% | 55% |
Graph reads: 72% of males from the ACT-tested graduating class of 2013 who were undecided about their choice of planned major indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Note: Based on 70% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported gender and answered at least one item of the five-question needs assessment when they registered for the ACT.
- Compared to students who either selected a planned major or left the question blank, a greater share of students who were undecided about their planned major choice indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
- Regardless of whether the students selected a planned major, more than half of all ACT-tested high school graduates indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by Certainty of Planned Major Choice and Gender, 2013
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by Certainty of Planned Major Choice and Gender, 2013
| Certainty of Planned Major Choice | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Not Sure | 77% | 74% |
| Fairly Sure | 66% | 65% |
| Very Sure | 49% | 50% |
Graph reads: 49% of females from the ACT-tested graduating class of 2013 who were very sure about their choice of planned major indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Note: Based on 59% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported gender, selected a planned major, indicated their level of certainty of their planned major, and answered at least one item of the five-question needs assessment when they registered for the ACT.
- As certainty of planned major choice increases, the percentage of students who reported that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans decreases.
- With the exception of students who were not sure of their planned major choice, there are no appreciable gender differences in the share of students who indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
- A greater percentage of females than males who were not sure of their planned major choice indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by Planned Major Area and Gender, 2013
Percent of ACT-Tested High School Graduates Who Indicated Needing Assistance in Deciding Their Educational/Occupational Plans by Planned Major Area and Gender, 2013
| Planned Major | Female | Male |
|---|---|---|
| Area, Ethnic, and Multidisciplinary Studies | 70% | 68% |
| Engineering | 65% | 61% |
| Computer Science and Mathematics | 65% | 62% |
| English and Foreign Languages | 64% | 64% |
| Architecture | 63% | 62% |
| Business | 63% | 63% |
| Sciences: Biological and Physical | 63% | 64% |
| Communications | 63% | 62% |
| Arts: Visual and Performing | 61% | 60% |
| Engineering Technology and Drafting | 61% | 59% |
| Ag. and Natural Resources Conservation | 60% | 59% |
| Social Sciences and Law | 60% | 60% |
| Philosophy, Religion, and Theology | 59% | 56% |
| Health Sciences and Technologies | 57% | 62% |
| Health Administration and Assisting | 57% | 62% |
| Education | 57% | 60% |
| Community, Family, and Personal Services | 55% | 53% |
| Repair, Production, and Construction | 50% | 49% |
Graph reads: 63% of males from the ACT-tested graduating class of 2013 who selected a planned major in the area of Business indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans.
Note: Based on 59% of the ACT-tested high school graduating class of 2013 who reported gender, selected a planned major, and answered at least one item of the five-question needs assessment when they registered for the ACT.
Related Links
- The percentage of students who indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans varies considerably by planned major area.
- Areas such as Engineering; Computer Science and Mathematics; and English and Foreign Languages have both some of the largest shares of students who indicated that they need assistance with deciding their educational and occupational plans and some of the smallest shares of students who were very sure of their planned major choice.
- Across the 18 planned major areas, gender differences in the percentage of students who indicated that they need assistance deciding their educational and occupational plans are prevalent but not sizable.