Findings released Thursday from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) suggest that the average student experience can vary widely from one college to another, even when the institutions are similar in size and selectivity.
More than 355,000 first-year and senior students from 622 four-year U.S. colleges and universities participated in the survey, which is now in its 16th year. The results, according to a report detailing the survey's findings, suggest that a college's enrollment size and level of selectivity "bears little relationship" to student engagement and experiences with faculty.
"The idea that selectivity guarantees you a better experience, there's no guarantee," NSSE Director Alexander McCormick said during a recent visit to Inside Higher Ed, where he discussed the survey and its findings. "And that's the same for enrollment size, as well. On a graph, it looks like a seismograph. There's huge bouncing around."
Read more at Inside Higher Ed: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/11/20/nsse-2014-finds-size-selectivity-make-little-difference-student-engagement