Copyright © All rights reserved to Student Insights. 1 Student-View © Report July, 2010.

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Student-View© Report

July, 2010


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Executive Summary

• Eastern Michigan University appeals to about 40-95% of Michigan students based on preferences for individual attributes including college size, setting, distance, tuition and non-sectarian status. When these factors are considered in combination, however, the University is acceptable or preferred by just 15% of students on all key factors.

• Approximately 19% of Michigan seniors have never heard of Eastern Michigan University. Among those who have heard of the University, 37% are somewhat or very unfamiliar with Eastern Michigan, while 43% are somewhat or very familiar.

• The University’s overall awareness score of 2.05 (0-4 scale) places it 8th among 12 benchmark institutions.

• Eastern Michigan University received unfavorable perception scores from 33% of seniors and favorable scores from 35%. The University’s overall perception score of 1.98 (0-4 scale) was 11th among benchmark institutions.

• The University has a near-neutral overall market position. The University’s position indicates that it has a relative gap in favorable perception.


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Executive Summary

• The University’s market position is similar among male and female students. Eastern Michigan’s market position also does not differ notably by students’ family income levels.

• Market position does differ for Eastern Michigan in several demographic segments, including:– Notably stronger position among black students, weaker position among

white and Asian students– Stronger among students with ACT scores below 20 and weaker among

students scoring 27 or higher– Stronger position among “first-generation” students whose parents did

not attend college. – Somewhat stronger position among students majoring in education,

nursing and business– Stronger position in Wayne County, and to a lesser extent, Oakland

County and the southeastern portion of the state.


4

Survey Overview


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Survey Methodology

• Online survey of Michigan high school seniors – Conducted in January - April, 2010– Incentives included several random drawing scholarships– Promoted through mailing to high school guidance counselors and scholarship

search sites

• Responses were generally reflective of the student demographics– 1,159 total responses from 220 high schools in Michigan– Distribution generally matched population distribution. Some sample biases

include:• Females comprise about 70% of responses• Estimated mean combined ACT scores about 24, somewhat higher than the

average national- and Michigan score

– Margins of error• Margins of error for overall awareness and perception are approximately +/- 5-

6% at a 90% confidence level• Margins of error for segmented data vary by type of segmentation• A Margin of Error bar is shown on slides to provide a visual reference


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Survey Response DistributionZIP Code

Each pin represents a ZIP code from which at least one response was received. Many ZIP codes had multiple responses.


7

Market Size Analysis


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College Selection FactorsHow important are the following factors when choosing a college?

Very Unimportant

Somewhat Unimportant

Neutral Somewhat Important

Very Important

Students in Michigan, as well as across the U.S., rate five key attributes as most important when choosing a college or university. These attributes, except for tuition cost, are difficult to measure and are largely determined by personal qualitative judgment.

Several lower-ranked variables are more definitive and therefore also play an important role in choosing a university. Preferences for these variables are shown in the following pages.College religious

affiliation, 1.62

Public vs. Private, 2.05

Social life - Off campus, 2.38

College size (Number of students), 2.4

Distance from home, 2.44

Small class sizes, 2.51

Campus setting (Urban/Suburban/Rural),

2.56

Social life - On campus, 2.76

Facilities - Residential, 2.79

Campus safety, 3.22

Tuition cost, 3.25

Facilities - Academic, 3.31

Academic strength, 3.44

Job opportunities for graduates, 3.45

0 1 2 3 4


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Drive Zones30-, 60-, 120- and 180 minutes around Ypsilanti, MI


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2 - 3 hours, 11%

3 hours or more, 5%

No Preference, 34%

30 minutes or less, 11%

30 - 60 minutes, 18%

1 - 2 hours, 21%

Market SizeDistance Preference

Thirty four percent of students have no preference regarding the distance between home and college. These students from throughout Michigan should find Eastern Michigan University to be an acceptable distance from home.

A 60 minute drive zone around Ypsilanti includes about one half of the Detroit and Flint metro areas and all of several secondary metro areas. Approximately 11-18% of students from this zone would prefer the distance to Eastern Michigan.

A broader 120 minute drive zone includes the remainder of the Detroit and Flint metro areas as well as portions of the Lansing and Grand Rapids metro areas. Twenty one percent of students in this zone would prefer the distance to Eastern Michigan University.

Beyond the 120 minute zone are the rest of the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo metro areas, several secondary metro areas, and largely rural areas. Five to eleven percent of students in this region prefer the distance to Eastern Michigan.


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1,000 - 2,500 stude nts, 7%

2,500 - 5,000 stude nts, 12%

5,000 - 10,000 stude nts, 15%

10,000 stude nts or m ore , 16%

No P re fe re nce ,

47%

0 - 999 stude nts, 1%

Market SizeCollege Size Preference

Forty seven percent of students have no college size preference and would find Eastern Michigan University to be acceptable.

Another 16% of students would like to attend a college such as EMU that has more than 10,000 students.


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No Preference, 48%

Prefer NO religious affiliation,

24%

Christian - Catholic, 11%

Christian - Non denominational,

9%

Christian - Protestant, 7%

Market SizeReligious Preference

Forty eight percent of students have no preference regarding a college’s religious affiliation. These students would be comfortable attending EMU.

Another 24% of students prefer a non-sectarian university such as Eastern Michigan University.


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No P re ference ,

45%

Urban , 27%

S uburban , 23%

Rura l, 4%

Market SizeSetting Preference

Twenty seven percent of Michigan students prefer an urban university such as Eastern Michigan.

Another 45% of students have no preference and would find EMU’s location to be acceptable.


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$0 - 5,000, 4%

$5,000 - 10,000, 13%

$15,000 - 20,000, 23%

$10,000 - 15,000, 16%

$20,000 - 25,000, 18%

$30,000 - 35,000, 4%

$25,000 - 30,000, 8%

No Ex pe cta tion, 10%

$35,000 or m ore , 4%

Market SizeTuition Expectation

What do you expect to pay ANNUALLY for college tuition? Consider only the published tuition rate not including any form of financial aid that you may receive.

EMU’s published tuition is $8,069. (US News, 2010).

Thirteen percent of students expect to pay $5,000 – 10,000 per year and another 10% have no expectation. These students would find Eastern Michigan’s tuition acceptable.

Seventy three percent of all students expect to pay more than $10,000 per year and would find EMU’s tuition preferable.


Consolidated Market Opportunity

100%

60%

44%

31%

15%

96%

0%

100%

Tuition Screen

Size Screen

Setting Screen

Religious Preference

Screen

Distance Screen

All Students

The consolidated market opportunity examines all student preferences, showing the percentage of students who find Eastern Michigan to be acceptable or preferred on all key variables.

The University is acceptable or preferred on all attributes by just 15% of students. In fact, this number is likely overstated since only a portion of these students would have ACT scores that were in Eastern Michigan’s typical range.

This relatively low percentage of students who find Eastern Michigan to be a “perfect match” is common for most institutions. The analysis highlights the challenge facing the University and other institutions – namely a small pool of ideal prospective students.


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Extra-Curricular Activities


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Sports - Pa rticipa te in in te rco lleg ia te s po rts , 16%

Med ia - S tuden t new s paper and /o r b roadcas ting , 16%

Studen t gove rnm en t, 16%

R e lig ious /s p iritua l o rgan iza tion , 20%

Perfo rm ing a rts , 24%

Pre -p ro fes s iona l o rgan iza tion , 29%

Fra te rn ity o r s o ro rity, 31%

Sports - Ind ividua l s po rts /exe rcis e , 37%

Sports - In tram ura l s po rts , 37%

Sports - W a tch co llege s po rts even ts , 42%

Study ab road , 46%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Extra-Curricular ActivitiesWhich activities, interests, and hobbies would you like to pursue in college?

Forty six percent of students intend to study abroad while in college.

More than one third of all students expect to participate in sports, exercise, and/or watch college sporting events.


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Awareness and FavorabilityOverall Ratings


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Awareness DistributionAwareness levels among students who have heard of Eastern Michigan University

18%

20%19%

24%

19%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Very Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar

Neutral Somewhat Familiar

Very Familiar

Among students who have heard of Eastern Michigan University, 37% are somewhat- or very unfamiliar with the University, while 43% are familiar to some degree.

In addition to students who have heard of Eastern Michigan, some students indicated that they had not heard of the University at all. The percentage of students who have not heard of EMU, the school’s Invisibility Index©, is approximately 19%. This is a somewhat high number for a large institution located near a major metropolitan area.


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Index Calculation

• Awareness Index is the average of all survey respondents’ familiarity levels

• Numeric assignments for awareness– Very Unfamiliar = 0– Somewhat Unfamiliar = 1– Neutral = 2– Somewhat Familiar = 3– Very Familiar = 4

• Perception Index is the average of all survey respondents’ perception ratings

• Numeric assignments for perception– Very Unfavorable = 0– Somewhat Unfavorable = 1– Neutral = 2– Somewhat Favorable = 3– Very Favorable = 4


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Awareness Index

S V S U, 1.71

Ferris S tate, 1.95

UM - F lint, 2.05

UM - D earborn, 2.05

E astern Michigan, 2.05

Oakland University, 2 .13

W ayne S tate, 2.13

W estern Michigan, 2.45

C entra l M ichigan, 2.65

Grand V alley S tate, 2.66

UM - A nn A rbor, 3 .05

Michigan S tate, 3.17

0 1 2 3 4Very

Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Overall awareness is typically related to an institution’s size and distance from major metropolitan areas. It is therefore not surprising that the state’s flagship institutions enjoy the highest levels of awareness, followed by GVSU, Central Michigan and Western Michigan. Eastern Michigan’s overall awareness score of 2.05 places it solidly in the middle of a tightly clustered group of second-tier institutions.


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Perception DistributionPerception levels among students who have heard of Eastern Michigan University

14%

19%

25%

10%

32%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Very Unfavorable

Somewhat Unfavorable

Neutral Somewhat Favorable

Very Favorable

Eastern Michigan received somewhat or very unfavorable scores from 33% of students and somewhat or very favorable scores from a slightly larger number.

It’s important to note that overall favorability encompasses more than just academic strength. Respondents were prompted to consider all attributes of each college, including tuition cost, facilities, campus safety, academic strength, social life, and other factors important to them.


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Perception Index

UM - F lint, 1 .95

E astern M ichigan, 1 .98

Ferris S tate, 1 .99

S V S U, 1.99

UM - D earborn, 2 .09

Oakland University, 2 .2

W ayne S tate, 2 .24

C entra l M ichigan, 2 .5

Grand V alley S tate, 2 .7

UM - A nn A rbor, 2 .95

Michigan S tate, 3 .04

W estern M ichigan, 2 .34

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat Unfavorable

Neutral Somewhat Favorable

Very Favorable

Margin of Error

Eastern Michigan’s perception score of 1.98 is 11th among benchmark institutions.


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College Position Matrix

C entral Michigan

SVSU Ferris

UM - Flint

Eas tern Michigan

UM - D earborn

O akland Univers ity

W ayne State

W es tern Michigan

Grand Valley State

UM - Ann Arbor Michigan State

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

Eastern Michigan has an essentially neutral market position along with UM – Flint and UM – Dearborn. The best-fit line shows the “normal” balance of awareness and perception among the benchmark institutions. Institutions to the left of the line have a comparatively favorable image, but a relative awareness gap. Universities to the right of the line, including Eastern Michigan have relatively high awareness, but face a gap in favorable perception.


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Market Position IndexTop 15

Rank Institution Awareness Perception

Market Position Index

1 Michigan State 3.17 3.04 9.632 UM - Ann Arbor 3.05 2.95 9.003 Grand Valley State 2.66 2.70 7.194 Central Michigan 2.65 2.50 6.635 Western Michigan 2.45 2.34 5.736 Wayne State 2.13 2.24 4.777 Oakland University 2.13 2.20 4.688 UM - Dearborn 2.05 2.09 4.289 Eastern Michigan 2.05 1.98 4.0710 UM - Flint 2.05 1.95 3.9911 Ferris State 1.95 1.99 3.8812 SVSU 1.71 1.99 3.4113 Hope College 1.64 1.93 3.1614 Michigan Tech 1.58 1.81 2.8615 Northern Michigan 1.59 1.76 2.81

Among Michigan’s top 15 institutions, Eastern Michigan is ranked 9th.

Awareness X Perception = Market Position


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Basic Segmentation


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Awareness IndexGender

Male, 2

Female, 2.08

0 1 2 3 4Very

Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Female and male students have nearly equivalent awareness of Eastern Michigan University.


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Perception IndexGender

Female, 1.99

Male, 1.98

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat

UnfavorableNeutral Somewhat

FavorableVery

Favorable

Margin of Error

Perceptions of Eastern Michigan do not differ by gender.


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Market Position MatrixGender

FemaleMale

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

The University’s position does not differ significantly by gender.


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Awareness IndexRace

Black, 2.89

White, 1.95

Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.79

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfamiliarSomewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Black students have a much higher level of awareness of Eastern Michigan than do white or Asian students.


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Perception IndexRace

Asian/Pacific Islander, 1.55

Black, 2.34

White, 1.94

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat


FavorableVery

Favorable

Black students also have a significantly more favorable perception of Eastern Michigan than do white and especially Asian students.


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Market Position MatrixRace

Asian/Pacific Islander

Black

White

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

EMU enjoys its strongest position among black students, marked particularly by higher awareness. The University’s position among Asian students is the weakest.


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North/UP

WestCentral

East

South East

Wayne

OaklandMacomb

Geography

The following geographic regions were selected by Student Insights for use in subsequent segmentation analysis.


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Awareness IndexGeography

West, 1.45

South East, 2.43

Central East, 1.88

Detroit - Wayne, 2.71

Detroit - Oakland, 2.29

Detroit - Macomb, 1.82

North/UP, 1.34

0 1 2 3 4Very

Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Eastern Michigan enjoys its highest awareness in Wayne and Oakland Counties and the southeastern portion of the state. Awareness is quite low in western and northern Michigan.


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Perception IndexGeography

North/UP, 1.65

West, 1.76

South East, 2.1

Central East, 1.97

Detroit - Wayne, 2.39

Detroit - Oakland, 1.83

Detroit - Macomb, 1.95

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat


FavorableVery

Favorable

Margin of Error

Perceptions of the University are most favorable in Wayne County and least favorable in the distant western and northern portions of the state.


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Market Position MatrixGeography

North/UP West

SoutheastCentral East

Detroit - Wayne

Detroit - Oakland

Detroit - Macomb

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

An institution’s market position is typically strongest in its immediate home region. This is true for Eastern Michigan University, which has a distinctly stronger market position in Wayne and Oakland Counties, as well as the southeastern portion of the state.


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Awareness IndexACT Scores

18 - 20, 2.42

21 - 23, 2.09

24 - 26, 2.07

27 - 29, 1.69

30 or higher, 1.81

17 or less, 2.51

0 1 2 3 4Very

Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Eastern Michigan University is best-known among students with lower ACT scores.


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Perception IndexACT Scores

17 or less, 1.9

18 - 20, 2.47

21 - 23, 2.09

24 - 26, 1.89

27 - 29, 1.82

30 or higher, 1.73

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat


FavorableVery

Favorable

Margin of Error

Perceptions are also generally more favorable among students with lower ACT scores. Perception among students with scores of 17 or less is an exception to this pattern.


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Market Position Matrix ACT Scores

17 or less

18 - 20

21 - 23

24 - 2627 - 29

30 or higher

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

Eastern Michigan’s market position is clearly strongest among students with a 20 or less on the ACT test. This is a notable finding since this is at the lower end of the University’s actual mid-range ACT scores for incoming freshmen of 18 – 23. (US News, 2010)


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Awareness IndexFamily Income

$25,000 - 50,000, 2

$50,000 - 75,000, 2.2

$75,000 - 100,000, 1.96

$100,000 or more, 2.06

$0 - 25,000, 2.17

0 1 2 3 4Very

Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Awareness is similar across all income levels, within the margins of error.


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Perception Index Family Income

$0 - 25,000, 2

$25,000 - 50,000, 1.89

$50,000 - 75,000, 2.07

$75,000 - 100,000, 2.03

$100,000 or more, 2.01

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat


FavorableVery

Favorable

Margin of Error

Perception is very similar among all income levels.


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Market Position Matrix Family Income

$0 - 25,000

$25,000 - 50,000

$50,000 - 75,000

$75,000 - 100,000

$100,000 or more

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

Eastern Michigan’s market position does not vary significantly among students from various income levels. This is a surprising finding, since institutions which have a distinctly stronger position among students with lower ACT scores often have a similarly strong position among students from lower-income families.


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Awareness IndexIntended Major

Business, 2.26

Education, 2.32

Engineering, 2.06

Health - Nursing, 2.27

Social/Behavioral Sciences, 1.89

Health - Other, 1.94

Undecided, 1.72

Biology, 1.84

0 1 2 3 4

Very Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Students majoring in education, nursing and business have modestly higher levels of awareness.


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Perception IndexIntended Major

Biology, 1.92

Business, 1.85

Education, 2.5

Engineering, 1.86

Health - Nursing, 2.13

Social/Behavioral Sciences, 1.87

Health - Other, 2

Undecided, 1.88

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat


FavorableVery

Favorable

Perceptions of the University are most favorable among students majoring in education, but are otherwise similar within the margins of error.

Margin of Error


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Market Position MatrixIntended Major

Health - Nursing

Biology

Business

Education

Engineering

Social/Behavioral Sciences

Health - Other

Undecided

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

Eastern Michigan enjoys its strongest position among education majors, and to a lesser extent, nursing and business majors. This is roughly consistent with the University’s top majors as listed in US News, 2010.


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Awareness Index

Some College, 2.21

Two Year Degree, 2.03

Four Year Degree, 1.92

Graduate Degree, 1.98

HS Diploma or less, 2.28

0 1 2 3 4Very

Unfamiliar

Somewhat Unfamiliar


Very Familiar

Margin of Error

Awareness is modestly higher among students whose parents have not earned a college degree.


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Perception Index

HS Diploma or less, 2.16

Some College, 2.2

Two Year Degree, 2.17

Four Year Degree, 1.82

Graduate Degree, 1.84

0 1 2 3 4Very

UnfavorableSomewhat


FavorableVery

Favorable

Margin of Error

Perceptions are also more favorable among students whose parents have not earned at least a four-year degree.


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Market Position Matrix

HS Diploma or less

Some CollegeTwo Year Degree

Four Year DegreeGraduate Degree

0

1

2

3

4

0 1 2 3 4Awareness

Favorability

The University has a weaker position among students whose parents have earned a four-year degree or more, and stronger position among those whose parents have no college degree.


Additional Market Research Opportunities

• Level Three Report (Pre-order 2011)– Advanced segmentation by student preferences for college size, setting and tuition– Detailed attribute ratings for Eastern Michigan and benchmark competitors. Attributes include academic

strength, tuition cost, residence facilities, academic facilities, social life, campus safety, and job opportunities for graduates

– Consideration levels for attending the University and key competitors– Differences in perspectives of Eastern Michigan by applicants and non-applicants

• Level Four Report (Pre-order 2011)– Open-ended descriptions of the University– Barriers to considering enrollment at the University– First-heard analysis showing how students first learn about the University– “Gap” review showing communication priorities– Momentum Index and Reputation Index showing if Eastern Michigan is considered to be

improving/declining and underrated/overrated

• Custom Research – Student Insights can provide affordable, effective custom research for all constituencies including current students, adult learners, employers, faculty and staff, parents of potential students, and others


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