Through its student survey,The College Student Report, NSSE annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities
about first-year and senior students' participation in programs and activities that
institutions provide for their learning and personal development. The results provide
an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending
college.
NSSE provides participating institutions a variety of reports that compare their students'
responses with those of students at self-selected groups of comparison institutions.
Comparisons are available for ten Engagement Indicators, six High-Impact Practices,
and all individual survey questions. Each November, NSSE also publishes its Annual Results, which reports topical research and trends in student engagement results. NSSE researchers
also present and publish research findings throughout the year.
Engagement Indicators
To represent the multi-dimensional nature of student engagement at national, sector,
institutional, and intra-institutional levels, NSSE developed ten Engagement Indicators
organized within four engagement themes. Each Engagement Indicator provides valuable
information about a distinct aspect of student engagement by summarizing students'
responses to a set of related survey questions. Each indicator and their component
items are below.
Academic Challenge
Higher-Order Learning
Reflective & Integrative Learning
Learning Strategies
Quantitative Reasoning
Learning with Peers
Collaborative Learning
Discussions with Diverse Others
Experiences with Faculty
Student-Faculty Interaction
Effective Teaching Practices
Campus Environment
Quality of Interactions
Effective Teaching Practices
High-Impact Practices
Due to their positive associations with student learning and retention, certain undergraduate
opportunities are designated "high-impact." High-Impact Practices (HIPs) demand considerable
time and effort, facilitate learning outside of the classroom, require meaningful
interactions with faculty and students, encourage collaboration with diverse others,
and provide frequent and substantive feedback. NSSE asks about participation in six
HIPs:
Service-learning
Learning communities or some other formal program where groups of students take two
or more classes together
Internships, co-ops, field experiences, student teaching, or clinical placements
Study abroad programs
Work with a faculty member on a research project
Complete a culminating senior experience (capstone course, senior project or thesis,
comprehensive exam, portfolio, etc.)
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The NSSE Topical Module is a set of questions on a designated topic such as academic
advising or civic engagement. For 2022, the Assessment Council elected to use Career & Workforce Preperation and Inclusiveness & Engagement with Diversity as the topical modules. This report lists results following responses from first-year
students and seniors, with questions adapted from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) and the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, respectively.
The NSSE Topical Module is a set of questions on a designated topic such as academic
advising or civic engagement. For 2019, the Assessment Council elected to use Development
of Transferable Skills and First-Year Experiences & Senior Transitions as the topical
modules. This report lists results following responses from first-year students and
seniors, with questions adapted from the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) and the Strategic National Arts Alumni Project, respectively.
