| Being well off financially | 78% |
| Raising a family | 75% |
| Making more money | 71% |
| Helping others | 69% |
| Becoming an authority in my field | 59% |
| Obtaining recognition in my special field | 56% |
| *Based on a national survey of students entering four-year colleges in the United States in the fall of 2010.Source: Chronicle of Higher Education, 2010. | |