NSSE provides a few options for additional or more detailed comparisons between your students and those at other institutions. To modify or customize the results in one or more of your standard reports (e.g., comparing a subset of students or changing a comparison group), NSSE offers custom analysis for a fee. Below are some common examples that cover most, but not all, types of custom analyses offered.
Request a Customized Version of Your Results
While NSSE reports feature three comparison groups, sometimes comparisons involving additional groups are desired. For example, an institution may want to compare results to a different aspirational peer group, or a different set of regional peers, or those involved in a particular program or initiative. Institutions can redefine any number of comparison groups (1-3) in their reports. Comparison groups must include at least six institutions and be substantially different from existing peer groups to protect institutions’ data. Institutions interested in using newly defined comparison groups should provide the names of those groups, and the IPEDS UNITID (or name, where unavailable) when making the request.
Institutions may choose demographic or other student characteristic variables available on the survey (or provided by all institutions in population files) to filter their results. For example, an institution may be interested in how first-generation students, or students taking all courses online, compare to those students at other institutions. Institutions interested in filtering using survey variables should specify which variables (e.g.,
firstgen) and groups to include (only first-generation students, or in separate reports, first-generation and non-first-generation students).Institutions may be interested in how their students in a particular program compare to students at their peer institutions. These students may be identified with NSSE’s group variables in the population file or supplied to NSSE along with a key variable when making the request. Institutions interested in filtering using these identifiers should specify which variables (e.g.,
group1, group2) to include.Have a different kind of analysis in mind? Contact your NSSE Project Services Team or nsse@indiana.edu with your questions.
The Report Builder also allows users to create customized results with selected student or institutional characteristics. With secure access to your institution's data as well as de-identified data from other participating schools, the Report Builder can be queried using a combination of student and institution characteristics. Try the demo.
Available reports
By default, requests will include all the following reports.
- Snapshot
- Engagement Indicators
- High-Impact Practices
- Frequencies and Statistical Comparisons
- Additional Questions (optional for participants in Topical Modules or a consortium)
- Respondent Profile
Institutions may also request summary tables.
To submit or inquire about a request, contact your Project Services Team. Once a request has been made, a NSSE staff member follow up questions, expected delivery date, and estimated costs. Work will begin upon receipt of written agreement that the terms are acceptable.
Cost, delivery, and payment
Typical custom analyses cost $475–$875 depending on the complexity of the request. Additional fees may be assessed for expedited deliveries, locally-administered survey analyses, multi-year analyses, and reports that require the merging of special identifiers.
Reports are typically delivered within 6-8 weeks. Delivery may be slower during late summer and early fall. All custom analysis requests will be delivered electronically through the NSSE Institution Interface or another secure method. Invoices will be sent following delivery of reports, unless otherwise indicated when the order is placed.
If interested in a custom analysis for another survey project (FSSE, BCSSE, or SNAAP), contact your NSSE Project Service Team or nsse@indiana.edu.