Preferencias educativas de los estudiantes zacatecanos de nivel medio superior por la Coordinación de Vinculación de la Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas

Abstract

This study aims to understand the educational preferences and factors influencing the
motivation of high school students to choose their preferred career among the 54 academic programs
offered at the Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas. Knowing the educational preferences at UAZ is
crucial for decision-making. A total of 1,124 questionnaires were administered to high school students
in November 2022 during the Expo Orienta event, organized by the Center for Learning and Student
Services (CASE) at UAZ. Participants came from 44 out of the 58 municipalities in the state of
Zacatecas. The study revealed that the most preferred career choices, in order, were Medicine, Law,
Agronomy, and Psychology, with the majority of respondents coming from general high school
programs. Among the new academic offerings at UAZ, Gastronomy garnered the highest preference.
As for the non-offered preferred careers at UAZ, Education had the highest percentage, followed by
Criminology. Students predominantly favored the morning shift, with a preference for in-person
classroom-based learning. Ultimately, the main reason for career choice leaned more towards the
school rather than the family. As future research, the study aims to explore the topic of educational
orientation, as it is considered to have been neglected, and choosing a career significantly shapes
one's life project.

Keywords: educational preference, academic program, students, Universidad Autónoma de
Zacatecas.