Individual Major No Minor Concern.

• Position: COLLEGE STUDENTS

College freshmen say they are more interested in information about specific majors and minors than details about a school's cost, rank, or admission rate when they are searching college websites, according to a survey by research company EAB, Washington, D.C.

Seventy percent of respondents say they primarily are looking for information about majors and minors on college websites, while 19% indicate they want to see a school's ranking or reputation. Some 45% are most interested in information about college costs, and 24% in financial aid.

The number of students seeking information about majors and minors on college websites has increased 3.6 percentage points in the two years since EAB last conducted the survey. During the same period, the percentage of students seeking financial information--including college costs, scholarships, and financial aid--remained relatively constant, and the percentage of students searching for a school's ranking or reputation decreased by 1.5 percentage points.

"There's no doubt that rank and cost are important to students and families, but these survey results suggest that students are also focused on value and whether their degree will enable them to succeed in their chosen profession," says Dana Strait, EAB principal. 'The survey findings...