Selected Results
In light of our 20th anniversary, our lead story is a look at longitudinal trends in student engagement drawing from annual data averaging more than 300,000 students and 461–725 institutions per year since 2004. The results suggest that colleges and universities participating in NSSE have made concerted efforts to improve in key areas, improvements that are evident in broad, aggregate results throughout the time span. The second story is from our newly updated Academic Advising Topical Module, and examines results from 25,000 students at 57 institutions that used the module in 2019. Results point to an important conclusion–that the quality of academic advising is far more important than the number of advising visits. Finally, we share findings on the relationship between student engagement and college persistence from more than 17,000 first-year students at 75 institutions that participated in a grant-funded study. Student attrition after the first year is costly for students and institutions, so it is affirming that institutions that engage students in and outside of the classroom may do a better job retaining their students.
How Has Engagement Changed Over Time? Longitudinal Trends: 2004–2019
Academic Advising: Quality Matters More Than Quantity