National Survey of Student Engagement

Every three years, the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) collects information from samples of first-year and senior students, about the nature and quality of their undergraduate experience. This information ranges from the student’s personal background, to their academic practices and goals, to their educational institution’s practices and benefits. The results of the survey are then weighted to ensure that groups are not being over- or underrepresented.

The institution’s data is then drawn in comparison to other universities, revealing where the school succeeds and where it lags behind. The comparison is then translated into a visual form called the ‘Benchmark Report’. Each of the surveyed questions falls under one of the NSSE’s five Benchmarks of Effective Educational Practice: standards of academic challenge, active learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment.

By using the Benchmarks and overall NSSE to compare universities, institutions can better determine if student behavior or institutional practices warrant attention or changes. The NSSE helps create a better learning environment and educational experience for everyone. Below is a PDF file of the current NSSE.

2010 NSSE Table of Contents

• Respondent Characteristics

• Comparison Groups
• Mean Comparison
• Frequency Distribution

• Benchmark Comparisons
• Multi-Year Benchmark Comparisons

• The Student Experience
• Student Comments