Evidence-Based Improvement
in Higher Education

NSSE 2026 Registration is Now Open!

As colleges and universities work to assure value and success for all students, NSSE – entering its 27th cycle – provides a reliable source of information on quality educational practices, such as students' perceptions of institutional support for their success and sense of belonging. NSSE and its companion survey, FSSE, help institutions assess and focus on practices that matter for student learning and success.

NSSE offers additional methods for campuses to recruit students during their survey administrations, including:

• Emails sent by NSSE, your institution, or a combination
• Unique survey links for student portals & LMS
• Unique text message survey links
• Generic survey link for campus promotions

In conjunction with survey incentives and broad campus involvement, these methods help maximize student participation in NSSE.

Learn more about registering for NSSE 2026

NSSE & FSSE 2025 Institutional Results Available

Institutional results for colleges and universities that participated in NSSE & FSSE 2025 are available! 

The Institutional Report provides detailed information about results alongside those of comparison institutions, presented in formats suitable for a wide range of users.

Approximately 930,000 first-year and senior students from 395 institutions (382 in the US, 6 in Canada, and 7 in other countries) were invited to participate in NSSE 2025. Of this population, 179,484 students responded to the survey. First-year and senior students were about equally represented among the respondent population.

Additionally, NSSE continues to release Annual Results. Engagement Insights is an annual dissemination of research findings and institutional stories, and more focused themed Special Reports will be issued throughout the year.

Read Annual Results

Search NSSE's Institution Participation History

Upcoming Dates

June 

NSSE 2025 analysis and report preparation

July 7

NSSE 2026 registration opens

October 24

NSSE 2026 registration closes

View Full NSSE 2026 Administration Timeline

Each of NSSE's surveys contains its own registration window and price. Discover how and when to register for each survey, as well as the price point for each survey, by visiting the corresponding link below.

NSSE Registration

FSSE Registration

BCSSE Registration

NSSE provides a plethora of useful data that must be packaged and interpreted in order to best assist institutions with their campus improvement efforts. Use the links below for aid throughout the process.

NSSE Data User's Guide

Lessons From The Field

Institution Data Display Examples

Wondering exactly what is featured on each NSSE survey? View the individual items on each of our surveys, as they are presented to students and faculty, by visiting the corresponding link below.

NSSE Survey Items

FSSE Survey Items

BCSSE Survey Items

Institutions can customize our surveys to their specific needs, including Topical Modules, Consortia, and Open-Ended Student Comments, as well as administration methods and reporting data.

Customization Options

NSSE Topical Modules

Customizing FSSE

After customizing NSSE and/or our other surveys to individual needs, institutions must promote the surveys on their campuses to ensure quality response rates and accurate data. NSSE offers helpful tips for these efforts.

Tips to Promote Surveys

Promotion Examples

IRB-Approved Content

NSSE delivers survey results in the form of several reports, including a Snapshot Report, a High-Impact Practices Report, a Multi-Year Report, a Comparison Report, a Major Field Report, and more.

Sample NSSE Reports

NSSE Report Builder

Interactive NSSE Data Displays