FSSE results can be used to identify areas of institutional strength, as well as aspects of the undergraduate experience that may warrant attention. The information can be a catalyst for productive discussions related to teaching, learning, and the quality of students’ experiences.

This overview provides general information about the institutions and faculty members that participated in this year’s FSSE administration. First, we compare the characteristics of FSSE-participating institutions to those of NSSE-participating institutions and the U.S. profile of bachelor’s-granting institutions. We then compare the characteristics of FSSE respondents to those of faculty members at U.S. bachelor’s-granting institutions and provide general information about response rates. Resources intended to help with the use of FSSE data are also on the FSSE website.

In the 2026 administration of FSSE, 4,873 faculty members responded from 50 bachelor’s-granting colleges and universities in the United States. An additional 3 institutions outside of the U.S. participated as well. All participating institutions select their own faculty samples. Faculty members were sent email invitations asking them to respond to the online survey.

Nearly all FSSE institutions (46) also administered NSSE to their students in 2026; the remainder administered NSSE in previous years (2025 and 2023). Having recent data from NSSE allows participating institutions to examine how faculty members and students respond to similar questions and content areas.

Starting in 2026, FSSE introduced a fully modular system where institutions could choose to append 4-6 Content Modules to the end of a brief core FSSE instrument. The following are the number of institutions that chose each of the four Content Modules derived from the former FSSE core survey:

• Course Structure & Curriculum (44)
• Effective Educational Practice (45)
• Instructional Staff Workload (43)
• Perceptions of the Student Experience (42)

The following are the number of institutions that chose Content Modules derived from the former FSSE Topical Modules:

• Academic Advising (16)
• Career and Workforce Preparation (12)
• Civic Engagement (3)
• Experiences with Writing (3)
• Inclusiveness and Engagement with Cultural Diversity (2)
• Teaching Professional Development (9)
• Transferable Skills (10)
• Scholarship of Teaching & Learning (1)

The following are the number of institutions that chose Content Modules derived from the College + University Teaching Environment project:

• Processes + Policies: Balance (2)
• Hiring, Tenure, + Promotion (2)
• Professional Relationships + Networks (2)
• Climate for Diversity: Personal (0)
• Climate for Diversity: Institutional (0)
• Instructional Staff Wellbeing (2)

The following are the number of institutions that chose one of FSSE’s new Content Modules:

• Data Cultures & Data Literacy (38)
• Generative AI (25)

Two institutions appended a new set of items in partnership with the Community-Engaged Alliance.

Tables 1 through 3 on the following pages provide more information about the participating institutions and faculty members who responded to the survey in the US.

Profile of FSSE 2026 Institutions

FSSE 2026 institutions were similar in many ways to the profile of U.S. bachelor’s-granting colleges and universities, while differing in a few respects (Table 1). Although slight differences exist between these profiles, the distribution of institutions reflects a wide range of U.S. institutions, which helps ensure that FSSE results represent a broad cross-section of U.S. faculty members.

Profile of FSSE 2026 Respondents

Tables 2 and 3 show selected characteristics of the U.S. faculty who completed FSSE 2026 alongside those of the faculty population at all U.S. bachelor’s-granting institutions. Percentages for the U.S. bachelor’s-granting population are based on the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

FSSE asked an expansive gender identity question, which permitted faculty to select all gender identities that applied. Of the available gender identities, 53% of faculty selected woman and 39% selected man. Smaller proportions of faculty (2% or less each) identified as agender or gender neutral, demigender, genderqueer or genderfluid, non-binary, or gender non-conforming, two-spirit, cis/cisgender, trans/transgender, questioning or unsure, or another gender identity.

Faculty were also asked an expansive sexual identity question, which permitted them to select all sexual identities that applied. Of the available sexual identities, 79% of faculty selected straight or heterosexual. Smaller proportions of faculty (4% or less each) identified as bisexual, lesbian, gay, queer, pansexual or polysexual, ace, gray, or asexual, demisexual, questioning or unsure, and another sexual orientation.

New in 2025, faculty were asked about the highest level of education completed by their parent(s), guardian(s), or those who raised them at the time faculty earned their undergraduate degree. Responses indicated that 37% of faculty were first-generation college graduates.

Faculty were additionally asked about having a disability or condition that impacts their learning, working, or living activities and allowed to further specify any such disabilities or conditions. Overall, 10% of faculty reported having such a disability or condition. Of those who identified having a disability, 7% indicated a sensory disability, 8% indicated a physical disability, 30% indicated a mental health or developmental disability, 18% indicated another disability or condition, and 38% indicated multiple disabilities or conditions.

Response Rates

A response rate is the number of respondents divided by the number of faculty members contacted, adjusted for sample members who could not be reached (usually because of incorrect email addresses). In 2026, 20% of invited faculty responded to the survey. The response rate of individual institutions ranged from 7% to 73%, while the average was 26%.