• What kind of research do you do?
• Is fraternity membership increasing or decreasing?
• What percentage of students are affiliated with fraternities and sororities?

What kind of research does the Center do?

The Center is a small non-profit that serves more as a clearinghouse for research than as an organization conducting original research. The Center does, however, contuct the Status Survey of Campus Fraternity and Sorority Systems every few years, and we own the copy write to a campus assessment tool, the Greek Student Experience Survey.

Is fraternity membership increasing or decreasing?

TRENDS IN MEMBERSHIP FOR FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES

In 1982, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1997, and 2000 the Center for the Study of the College Fraternity surveyed college campuses on the status of their fraternity and sorority systems.Over time, the response rate to the questionnaire differed so direct comparisons of data should be made with caution.

The questionnaire included an item on membership numbers, and later an item on trends in membership numbers for men’s and women’s groups.The results received were:

YEAR	SCHOOLSRESPONDING	FRATERNITY NUMBERS	SORORITY NUMBERS
1982	285 institutions	122,711 fraternity actives	114,867 sorority actives
		35,948 fraternity pledges	29,116 sorority pledges
1983	334 institutions	177,220 fraternity actives	144,191 sorority actives
		44,071 fraternity pledges	39,398 sorority pledges
1984	371 institutions	165,698 fraternity actives	131,574 sorority actives
		49,025 fraternity pledges	42,304 sorority pledges
1986	429 institutions	196,884 fraternity actives	155,620 sorority actives
		67,400 fraternity pledges	54,657 sorority pledges
1988	392 institutions	194,260 fraternity actives	157,498 sorority actives
		62,406 fraternity actives	58,346 sorority pledges
1990	398 institutions	197,974 fraternity actives	169,953 sorority actives
		59,417 fraternity pledges	59,675 sorority pledges
1992	292 institutions	162,820 fraternity actives	144,521 sorority actives
		48,998 fraternity pledges	47,454 sorority pledges
1997	346 institutions	133,210 fraternity actives	134,248 sorority actives
		59,166 fraternity pledges	68,508 sorority pledges
2000	324 institutions	115,222 fraternity active	127,110 sorority actives
		40,935 fraternity pledges	45,515 sorority pledges

In 1984, a survey item was added to ask how membership compared with previous survey year in an attempt to address concerns about the comparability of data between surveys when the respondents were not always the same schools.“Fewer” was defined as down 5%, “same” as about the same, and “greater” as up 5% or more.The responses on these items were not always consistent with the trend suggested by the raw numbers.

1984	371 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
		fewer -29 schools	fewer -38 schools
		same -231 schools	same -214 schools
		greater – 23 schools	greater - 92 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer -36 schools	fewer -39 schools
		same - 201 schools	same - 200 schools
		greater - 87 schools	greater - 85 schools
1986	429 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
		fewer -26 schools	fewer -22 schools
		same -275 schools	same -253 schools
		greater - 108 schools	greater - 111 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer -37 schools	fewer -30 schools
		same -251 schools	same -228 schools
		greater - 102 schools	greater - 118 schools
1988	392 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
		fewer -22 schools	fewer -18 schools
		same -192 schools	same -186 schools
		greater - 146 schools	greater - 140 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer -34 schools	fewer -32 schools
		same -180 schools	same -163 schools
		greater - 140 schools	greater - 152 schools
1990	398 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
		fewer -42 schools	fewer -29 schools
		same -195 schools	same -182 schools
		greater - 125 schools	greater - 151 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer -54 schools	fewer -39 schools
		same -191 schools	same -175 schools
		greater - 115 schools	greater - 146 schools
1992	292 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
		fewer -55 schools	fewer -42 schools
		same -149 schools	same -148 schools
		greater -54 schools	greater -66 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer -59 schools	fewer -57 schools
		same -143 schools	same -132 schools
		greater -54 schools	greater -66 schools	-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt">346 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
		fewer -88 schools	fewer -68 schools
		same -163 schools	same -168 schools
		greater -59 schools	greater -74 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer -88 schools	fewer -60 schools
		same -138 schools	same -141 schools
		greater -48 schools	greater -70 schools

The 2000 survey again asked respondents to compare membership numbers with the previous survey year (1996-1997).

2000	324 institutions	for fraternity actives	for sorority actives
	(preliminary data)	fewer -101 schools	fewer -71 schools
		same - 149 schools	same - 159 schools
		greater - 56 schools	greater -75 schools
		for fraternity pledges	for sorority pledges
		fewer - 95 schools	fewer - 57 schools
		same - 134 schools	same - 149 schools
		greater - 49 schools	greater - 69 schools

What percentage of students are affiliated with fraternities and sororities?

There is no good, definitive answer to the often asked question: "What is the percentage of students who are fraternity and sorority members on campuses nationwide?" One source of information on this topic is the Status Survey of Campus Fraternity and Sorority Systems.

The Center for the Study of the College Fraternity conducts the "Status Survey of Campus Fraternity and Sorority Systems" approximately every 2 years (since 1982). The survey is mailed to more than 700 campuses, and an administrator from the campus may complete and return the survey. The response rate varies each year. While a few campuses have participated in each survey, others have participated only once, sporadically, or not at all, making a comparison of responses over time unreliable. Responding campuses also vary widely in terms of size, institutional control, etc. Of course, many campuses have no fraternity and sorority community at all, and are not included in the survey.

Prior to 1988, the survey did not collect any information about the percentage of affiliated students. The survey instrument was revised in 1997, allowing us to collect a different type of data about the percentage of affiliated students. The new survey allows us to collect a unique percentage figure from each respondent, whereas previously we only collected information about ranges of affiliated students (0-10%, 11-20%, etc.)

Keeping these limitations in mind, here is a summary of the information we have on membership percentages.

2000 (324 responses) Median=12% Mean=17.50%
1997 (346 responses) Median=13% Mean=17.78%
1992 (292 responses)

 <10% = 98 campuses
 11-20% = 88
 21-30% = 46
 31-40% = 24
 41-50% = 19
 51-60% = 8
 61-70% = 4
 71-80% = 1
 81-90% = 1
 91-100 = 1

1990 (398 responses)

 <10% = 140 campuses
 11-20% = 130
 21-30% = 56
 31-40% = 28
 41-50% = 17
 51-60% = 14
 61-70% = 5
 71-80% = 4
 81-90% = 1
 91-100 =

1988 (392 responses)

 <10% = 142 campuses
 11-20% = 108
 21-30% = 58
 31-40% = 26
 41-50% = 25
 51-60% = 17
 61-70% = 7
 71-80% = 2
 81-90% = 2
 91-100 =

1986 (no data available)
1984 (no data available)
1983 (no data available)
1982 (no data available)

The survey also asks information about the number of students affiliated. Totals from each year of the survey are included in the monograph "Status of the College Fraternity and Sorority, 1997" published by the Center. (The 2000 data has not yet been published.) The monograph may be purchased using the order form on our website.