Factors Influencing Students' Decisions to Choose the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To examine what factors influence students to enroll at the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy versus other schools. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study surveyed students attending the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy in the fall of 2010. The independent variable was out-of-state students versus in-state students. The primary dependent variables were students’ rating the importance of factors that influenced them to choose the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy. Demographic variables included age, class, year, and residency status. RESULTS Surveys were completed by 308 students of a total of 385 students (79%) enrolled in the fall of 2010 in one of the four classes . Overall, school rank and cost of tuition were equally important to residents (P=0.089) and rank was the most important factor to non-residents (P=0.045). All students rated class size (p = 0.005), campus size (p = 0.012), diversity of students (p = 0.019), availability of campus housing (p = 0.025), availability of campus clubs (p = 0.004), and safety of campus (p = 0.015) as important factors. First year students rated financial aid offer (p=0.002) as significantly more important than second and third year students; cost of living (p=0.013) as significantly more important than second year; influence of family (p=0.035) as significantly more important than third and fourth year students; and presence of friends or relatives who attended this College of Pharmacy was significantly more important than fourth year students (p=0.012). CONCLUSION: School rank and cost of tuition were equally important for residents, however, for non-residents school rank was the most important factor when deciding to attend the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy.