Decades of research on college students holds that student experiences and outcomes are more varied among students within institutions than between institutions. Thus, NSSE encourages institutions to examine internal variations in their students' experiences. The Major Field Report is a model of what these analyses could look like. The Major Field Report also informs department-level improvements in teaching and learning. Deans, department chairs, and faculty may not derive much diagnostic value from institution-wide results. But when information for their schools or departments is known and can be compared to other majors on campus, it may get more traction.

Participating institutions are able to access the Major Field Report via the NSSE Institution Interface in the fall.

Institutions are encouraged to identify areas of small and large difference in major fields among their own students and against a customizable comparison group within the report. This is a useful exercise for all Engagement Indicators, High-Impact Practices, and selected items of greatest interest/importance to an institution.

To match their profile of degrees offered, institutions can regroup the 138 student-reported majors (or intended majors) into as many as 10 categories in a specially designed Tableau dashboard. The Major Field Report is preloaded with NSSE's ten related-major categories.

The Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) was developed by the National Center for Education Statistics to track enrollment and degree completion by field of study. To better understand how NSSE's major fields relate to CIP codes, or to add CIP codes into a NSSE data file, view the NSSE Majors, CIP Crosswalk, And Related Syntax section.