Book of Odds
Page 18
SOURCE: How America Pays for College, Sallie Mae’s National Study of College Students and Parents, Gallup, 2010.
College Majors
The odds a student enrolled in a four-year undergraduate institution will major in:
Business, management, or marketing: 1 in 4.9
Health professions and related sciences: 1 in 10.6
Education: 1 in 13.8
Visual and performing arts: 1 in 18.7
Engineering: 1 in 20.1
Biological and biomedical sciences: 1 in 21.3
Psychology: 1 in 22.3
Liberal arts, sciences, and humanities: 1 in 24.4
Computer and information sciences: 1 in 28.3
Communication or journalism: 1 in 28.8
Security and protective services: 1 in 37
English language and literature: 1 in 51.5
Political science and government: 1 in 58.2
History: 1 in 69.3
Multi- or interdisciplinary studies: 1 in 71.4
Physical sciences: 1 in 73
Parks, recreation, and fitness: 1 in 82.2
Public administration and social services: 1 in 87.3
Engineering technologies: 1 in 88.1
Sociology: 1 in 92.2
Family and consumer/human sciences: 1 in 102
Economics: 1 in 104
Math or statistics: 1 in 136
Architecture and
related services: 1 in 142
Foreign language and literature: 1 in 148
Agriculture and related sciences: 1 in 148
Philosophy and religious studies: 1 in 163
Legal professions or studies: 1 in 178
Personal and culinary services: 1 in 213
Social sciences: 1 in 233
Natural resources and conservation: 1 in 257
International relations and affairs: 1 in 279
Anthropology: 1 in 288
Theology and religious vocations: 1 in 326
Transportation and materials movement: 1 in 326
Criminology: 1 in 376
Area, ethnic, or gender studies: 1 in 391
Communications technologies: 1 in 425
Geography: 1 in 489
Construction trades: 1 in 652
Mechanical and repair technologies: 1 in 698
Science technologies: 1 in 752
The odds a student enrolled in a four-year undergraduate institution will be undeclared or not in a degree program:
1 in 19.1
SOURCE: TD Snyder, SA Dillow, Digest of Education Statistics 2010 (NCES 2011-015). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Statistics, 2011.
When It’s Crunch Time
Packing It On: The Freshman 15?
The stress of college (not to mention the abundance of alcohol) often leads to weight gain. In two studies on the topic, summarized in the journal Preventative Medicine, one study found 77% of freshmen (1 in 1.3) and the other found 70% of freshmen (1 in 1.4) will gain weight during their freshman year.
But even among those who gain weight, the average gain falls far short of fifteen pounds. A 2008 review article found that the average freshman weight gain was five pounds.
SOURCES: EE Lloyd-Richardson, S Bailey, JL Fava, R Wing, “A Prospective Study of Weight Gain During the College Freshman and Sophomore Years,” Preventative Medicine 48(3), March 2009: 256–261. C Brown, “The Information Trail of the ‘Freshman 15’—a Systematic Review of a Health Myth Within the Research and Popular Literature,” Health Information and Libraries Journal 25(1), March 2008: 1–12.
Popping Pills
Amphetamines, such as Adderall and Ritalin, prescriptions for attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity, are common on campus, especially around exam time. The odds a person 18–22 enrolled in college full-time will engage in the nonmedical use of Adderall in a year are 1 in 15.6—twice as high as the odds for a person that age who is not a full-time college student.
SOURCES: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, The NSDUH Report: Nonmedical Use of Adderall Among Full-Time College Students. Rockville, MD, April 7, 2009.
My Dog Ate My Calendar
The odds a person 18–22 enrolled in college has made up an excuse to get out of classwork or buy more time:
Personal illness 1 in 2.7
Family emergency 1 in 3.8
Not understanding assignment 1 in 4.8
Computer crashed 1 in 5.6
Overslept or alarm clock failed 1 in 6.4
“Left my paper in the dorm room” 1 in 14.6
Grandparent died 1 in 31.7
Best friend died 1 in 127
SOURCE: M Roig, M Caso, “Lying and Cheating: Fraudulent Excuse Making, Cheating, and Plagiarism,” Journal of Psychology 139(6), 2005: 485–494.
ODDS COUPLE
Education Pays Off in the Long Run
The odds a person 25 or older with a doctoral degree has an income of less than $2,500: 1 in 86.8
The odds a person 25 or older with some high school education has an income of $100,000 or more: 1 in 204
SOURCE: US Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 2009.
College Rituals and Superstitions
The odds an undergraduate student as part of a behavioral ritual or superstition will…
dress up to feel better prepared 1 in 1.4
knock on wood 1 in 1.6
refrain from “jinxing” 1 in 1.7
visualize success 1 in 1.8
cross his or her fingers 1 in 2
participate in a team cheer 1 in 2.1
listen to particular music 1 in 2.1
pray by him- or herself 1 in 2.4
say a particular phrase 1 in 2.6
participate in a pep talk 1 in 2.6
wear lucky clothing 1 in 3.3
require silence or seclusion 1 in 4.6
crack his or her knuckles 1 in 4.8
engage in an idiosyncratic routine 1 in 5.6
mark his or her shoes or equipment 1 in 5.8
eat a particular meal 1 in 6.2
wear a lucky charm 1 in 6.2
pray in a group 1 in 6.5
kiss a lucky charm 1 in 8.5
put clothing on in a particular order 1 in 11.1
check his or her horoscope 1 in 15.9
refrain from sex 1 in 15.9
refrain from showering 1 in 22.2
dress “sloppily” 1 in 37
SOURCE: Book of Odds estimates based on A Edward, JM Rudski, “Malinowski Goes to College: Factors Influencing Students’ Use of Ritual and Superstition,” Journal of General Psychology 134(4), 2007: 389–403.
GENDER WARS
The odds a woman 25–34 has a bachelor’s degree or more:
1 in 2.8 vs. 1 in 3.6 for a man
SOURCE: US Census Bureau, Educational Attainment in the United States: 2009.
Sex on Campus
Undergrads and Kissing
The odds an undergraduate student 18 or older has kissed…
at least 20 members of the opposite sex 1 in 4.3
1–2 members of the opposite sex 1 in 10.7
3–5 members of the opposite sex 1 in 7.1
6–10 members of the opposite sex 1 in 4.6
11–20 members of the opposite sex 1 in 3.9
Has never been kissed 1 in 208
SOURCE: Book of Odds estimates based on SM Hughes, MA Harrison, GC Gallup, G Gordon, “Sex Differences in Romantic Kissing Among College Students: An Evolutionary Perspective,” Evolutionary Psychology 5(3), 2007: 612–631.
ODDS COUPLE
“Consistency Is the Hobgoblin…”
The odds a male 15–22 has had unprotected sex: 1 in 1.8
The odds an adult is not at all concerned about contracting AIDS or an STD: 1 in 1.8
SOURCES: S Jayson, “Truth About Sex,” USA Today, January 26, 2010. “The American Sex Survey: A Peek Beneath the Sheets,” ABC News Primetime Live Poll, October 21, 2004, http://abcnews.go.com/imag
es/Politics/959a1AmericanSexSurvey.pdf.
The Pressure
Is On
The odds a male 15–22 thinks there is “way too much pressure” from society to have sex:
1 in 1.3
SOURCE: S Jayson, “Truth About Sex,” USA Today, January 26, 2010
Yet Some Guys Apply Their Own Pressure
The odds a male 18–22 enrolled in college has ever talked someone into having sex with him by lying or making false promises:
1 in 4
SOURCE: GJ Fischer, “Deceptive, Verbally Coercive College Males: Attitudinal Predictors and Lies Told,” Archives of Sexual Behavior 25(5), 1996: 527–533.
GENDER WARS
The odds a male 15–22 believes the more hookups he has the more popular he will be:
1 in 1.9
The odds a male 15–22 believes the more hookups a girl has the less popular she will be:
1 in 1.4
SOURCE: S Jayson, “Truth About Sex,” USA Today, January 26, 2010.
Reasons for Unwanted Sexual Activity in College
The odds a male college student who engaged in unwanted sexual activity did so because of…
enticement: 1 in 1.1
inexperience: 1 in 1.5
intoxication: 1 in 1.8
peer pressure: 1 in 1.9
sex-role concerns: 1 in 2.1
fear of the termination of a relationship: 1 in 2.3
verbal coercion by his partner: 1 in 3.7
physical coercion: 1 in 4.3
a desire to be popular: 1 in 5.5
a partner threatened self-harm: 1 in 31.2
The odds a female college student who engaged in unwanted sexual activity did so because of…
enticement: 1 in 1.1
inexperience: 1 in 1.6
intoxication: 1 in 1.2
peer pressure: 1 in 2.2
sex-role concerns: 1 in 2.1
fear of the termination of a relationship: 1 in 1.8
verbal coercion by her partner: 1 in 2.9
physical coercion: 1 in 3.2
a desire to be popular: 1 in 7.7
a partner threatened self-harm: 1 in 58.8
SOURCE: CL Muehlenhard, SW Cook, “Men’s Self-Reports of Unwanted Sexual Activity,” Journal of Sex Research 24, 1998: 58–72.
The odds a female college student who has engaged in unwanted sexual activity did so because she was being altruistic are 1 in 1.7; a male, 1 in 4.
SOURCE: CL Muehlenhard, SW Cook, “Men’s Self-Reports of Unwanted Sexual Activity,” Journal of Sex Research 24, 1988: 58–72.
Then Comes
Spring Break
Risky Behavior on Spring Break
The odds a male college student 18–25 who went on a spring break vacation reports:
• experimenting sexually on his last break: 1 in 1.4
• using a condom during sex with someone he just met on his last break: 1 in 1.4
• getting drunk during his last break: 1 in 2
• drinking alcohol just prior to having sex during his last break: 1 in 2
• having sex with someone new the day they met during his last break: 1 in 4.7
The odds a female college student 18–25 who went on a spring break vacation reports:
• experimenting sexually on her last break: 1 in 4.4
• using a condom during sex with someone she just met on her last break: 1 in 1.5
• getting drunk during her last break: 1 in 2.5
• drinking alcohol just prior to having sex during her last break: 1 in 2.4
• having sex with someone new the day they met during her last break: 1 in 20.4
SOURCE: Y Apostolopoulos, S Sonmez, CH Yu, “HIV-Risk Behaviors of American Spring Break Vacationers—a Case of Situational Disinhibition,” International Journal of STD and AIDS 13, 2002: 733–743.
It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time…
The odds a male college student has a tattoo on his…
hand or arm: 1 in 9.1
back: 1 in 13.3
shoulder: 1 in 16,7
foot or leg: 1 in 16.7
chest: 1 in 33.3
abdomen: 1 in 90
The odds a male college student has a pierced…
ear or ears: 1 in 3.8
tongue: 1 in 55.7
navel: 1 in 66.7
nipple: 1 in 90.9
eyebrow: 1 in 250
genital area: 1 in 250
The odds a female college student has a tattoo on her…
back: 1 in 8.3
foot or leg: 1 in 19.2
abdomen: 1 in 20.4
hip or buttock: 1 in 29.4
hand or arm: 1 in 76.9
breast or chest: 1 in 76.9
shoulder: 1 in 125
neck: 1 in 125
pubic/genital area: 1 in 125
face: 1 in 333
The odds a female college student has a pierced…
navel: 1 in 2.9
ear or ears: 1 in 3.3
tongue: 1 in 14.3
nose: 1 in 16.7
nipple: 1 in 33.3
eyebrow: 1 in 125
pubic/genital area: 1 in 125
lip: 1 in 200
SOURCE: LB Mayers, SH Chiffriller, “Body Art (Body Piercing and Tattooing) Among Undergraduate University Students: ‘Then and Now,’” Journal of Adolescent Health 42(2), February 2008: 201–203.
College Relationships:
“Breaking Up Is Hard to Do”
SOURCE: RM Dailey, A Pfiester, B Jin, G Beck, G Clark, “On-Again/Off-Again Dating Relationships: How Are They Different from Other Dating Relationships?” Personal Relationships 16, 2009: 23–47.
Best Buds
If you haven’t done it yourself, you probably know someone who has. The odds a college student has ever had a friend with benefits are 1 in 2, with men more likely than women to report such arrangements. Among male undergraduates, the odds are 1 in 1.6, while for women, the number is 1 in 2.
SOURCE: J Puentes, D Knox, ME Zusman, “Participants in ‘Friends with Benefits’ Relationships,” College Student Journal 42(1), March 2008:176–180.
The odds an undergrad will describe him- or herself as a jealous person: 1 in 1.8
SOURCE: J Puentes, D Knox, ME Zusman, “Participants in ‘Friends with Benefits’ Relationships,” College Student Journal 42(1), March 2008: 176–180.
Private Colleges Have Higher Graduation Rates Than Public Colleges
Based on 2009 data, the odds that a student at a four-year public college or university will graduate within four years are 1 in 3.4 vs. 1 in 2 for those attending a private, nonprofit college/university; within six years the public school odds are 1 in 1.8 vs. 1 in 1.6 for those attending a private nonprofit.
However, students attending larger public universities as well as many private colleges/universities beat the average graduation rates.
SOURCES: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education: Participation in Education, 2008 (NCES 2008-031), US Department of Education. US Department of Education, The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, 2010 (for the year 2009).
But Sometimes in the Short Run, It’s Back to the Bunk Beds
Reasons for Moving In with Parents
SOURCE: Charles Schwab, Charles Schwab 2009 Young Adults and Money Survey Findings: Insights into Money Attitudes, Behaviors and Concerns of 23- to 28-Year-Olds, 2009.
The odds a first-time student at a four-year private nonprofit college or university will drop out of school during a six-year timeframe: 1 in 10.8
SOURCE: National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education: Participation in Education, 2008 (NCES 2008-031), US Department of Education.
CHAPTER 7
HEALTH AND ILLNESS
Survivor
The odds a person diagnosed with cancer in 1999 survived at least ten years: 1 in 1.7
SOURCE: N Howlader, AM Noone, M Krapcho, N Neyman, R Aminou, SF Altekruse, et al., eds., SEER Canc
er Statistics Review, 1975–2009 (Vintage 2009 Populations). Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute, http://seer.cancer.gov/csr/1975_2009_pops09/, based on November 2011 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER website, April 2012.
The Odds You Will Die in a Year
The odds a person will die in a year: 1 in 135
Those are roughly the odds a male born in 2008 is named David: 1 in 134
SOURCES: DL Hoyert, JQ Xu, “Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2011,” National Vital Statistics Reports 61(6), October 10, 2012. Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names.
The Most Common Causes of Death in a Year
The odds a death will be due to heart disease 1 in 4.2
The odds a death will be due to cancer 1 in 4.4
The odds a death will be due to chronic lower respiratory diseases 1 in 17.5
The odds a death will be due to stroke 1 in 19.5
The odds a death will be due to an accident 1 in 20.5
The odds a death will be due to Alzheimer’s disease 1 in 29.7
The odds a death will be due to diabetes mellitus 1 in 34.3
The odds a death will be due to influenza or pneumonia 1 in 46.8
The odds a death will be due to kidney disease 1 in 54.9
The odds a death will be due to intentional self-harm (suicide) 1 in 65.6
The odds a death will be due to septicemia 1 in 70.7
The odds a death will be due to chronic liver disease or cirrhosis 1 in 74.9
The odds a death will be due to essential hypertension 1 in 91.5
The odds a death will be due to hypertensive renal disease 1 in 91.5
The odds a death will be due to Parkinson’s disease 1 in 109
The odds a death will be due to pneumonitis due to liquids and solids 1 in 139
SOURCE: DL Hoyert, JQ Xu, “Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2011,” National Vital Statistics Reports 61(6), October 10, 2012.
How Are Health Care Dollars Spent?