About NSSE
NOTE: NSSE survey items are copyrighted by Indiana University, and may not be used without permission in internal surveys.
The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is sponsored by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research, and St. Olaf typically administers this survey every two to three years to first-years and seniors. Recently, NSSE offered the new option of creating a “NSSE Shorts” customized survey from their collection of topical modules, item sets designed to focus on more specific areas of the student experience. In Spring 2026, St. Olaf administered five different modules divided among the student body; half received modules focused on Academic Advising and Inclusiveness & Engagement with Cultural Diversity, and the other half answered questions related to Generative AI Use & Perceptions, Civic Engagement, and Experiences with Information Literacy.
Overall, 965 students (31% of the student body) responded to these surveys; 436 (28% of those invited) responded to the Advising and Inclusiveness/Cultural Diversity survey, and 529 (34% of those invited) responded to the Generative AI, Civic Engagement, and Information Literacy survey. The links on this page lead to summary reports and to detailed results. If you have any questions about the NSSE/NSSE Shorts instruments, administration, or results (including from prior years), please send a message to IE&A.
NSSE Dashboard
These interactive dashboards allow for disaggregation of key questions from all NSSE/NSSE Shorts survey years (along with the HEDS Alumni Survey) by different demographic categories (class year, race/ethnicity/citizenship, first-generation status, disability status, gender identity, sexual orientation). The first page of the dashboard will lead you through the different topic areas and tips for navigating the survey data.
2026 NSSE Shorts Reports
The reports received for the NSSE Shorts show the overall response frequencies and means for the questions in each module. There are also comparison reports that summarize responses from students at all private baccalaureate institutions (including St. Olaf) that administered the module in 2025-26. Unlike with the main NSSE survey, we were not able to choose specific comparison groups or see the list of private baccalaureate institutions.
Academic Advising
Civic Engagement
Experiences with Information Literacy
Generative AI Use & Perceptions
- St. Olaf data summary
- Because this is a new module for Spring 2026, there is not yet enough comparison data for NSSE to release a report with this information.
Inclusiveness & Engagement with Cultural Diversity
2023 NSSE Reports
The reports below show the most recent results from the main NSSE survey, administered in Spring 2023. For this survey year, 398 first-years (44% of the first-year class) and 250 seniors (36% of the senior class) responded.
NSSE first-year and senior item frequency distributions and means
First-year and senior responses to each item on the NSSE questionnaire, including comparisons with 29 institutions in St. Olaf’s criterion-based comparison group, 11 ACM or GLCA member institutions, and 92 private institutions in the same Carnegie classification as St. Olaf. View comparison group institutions here: NSSE 2023 Selected Comparison Groups.
NSSE Engagement Indicators (EIs)
The NSSE Engagement Indicators combine results from several related items to provide composite measures of: Higher-Order Learning, Reflective and Integrative Learning, Learning Strategies, Quantitative Reasoning, Collaborative Learning, Discussions with Diverse Others, Student-Faculty Interaction, Effective Teaching Practices, Quality of Interactions, and Supportive Environment.