The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is administered nationally by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research and supplies information about students’ participation in programs and activities that institutions provide for their learning and personal development. This is the third year WFU has participated in the NSSE, joining 382 US institutions in 2025.
The NSSE was distributed electronically by the Office of Institutional Research during the spring of 2025 to all seniors (N = 1,251). A total of 249 students submitted responses, representing a 20% response rate. Across all survey questions, the minimum margin of error was \(\pm\) 6.2% and the maximum margin of error was \(\pm\) 16.1%. The respondents were not representative of the senior class when comparing distributions across sex and race/ethnicity; for example, the respondents overrepresented the proportion of White female students (55% vs 41%) in the WFU senior population. To address some concerns around nonresponse bias, all analyses were performed with post-stratification weights by sex and race/ethnicity.
As part of the NSSE, Engagement Indicators were combined with related questions to assess engagement in academic challenges, learning with peers, experiences with faculty, and the campus environment. WFU seniors scored highly on several NSSE Engagement Indicators, including Effective Teaching Practices, Higher-Order Learning, and Quality of Interactions. On all Engagement Indicators, Wake Forest seniors scored similarly or higher than peers at 34 administering institutions. Among all respondents, 94% evaluated their overall educational experience positively, and 90% indicated that if they could start over again, they would attend WFU.
For each item below, a statistical test for the difference between groups (e.g., sex) is performed. If the difference between groups is found to be statistically significant, this analysis reports effect sizes to allow one to compare the magnitude of the difference. Each item that is found to have a difference between groups and indicates at least a small effect size is highlighted using the colors in Figure 1. This report provides a summary of each section (e.g., Engagement Indicators) followed by the comparison within WFU seniors by sex and race/ethnicity. Comparisons by survey year (2025 vs 2023) are also provided where possible, as some survey content was revised between administrations. (See here for more on survey analysis methodology.)
| Size | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Large Effect | ≥ 0.80 |
| Medium Effect | ≥ 0.50 |
| Small Effect | ≥ 0.20 |
Figure 1. Interpretation of effect sizes with corresponding colors
Due to the large number of individual questions asked and the complexity of assessing specific areas of potential concern, NSSE developed ten Engagement Indicators to provide a more reliable, cumulative measure of areas of notable interest. Each Engagement Indicator is comprised of component items which are converted to a 60-point metric (e.g., Never=0, Sometimes=20, Often=40, and Very Often=60) and averaged together to compute student-level scores.
Seniors at WFU reported the highest scores in their experience with effective teaching practices that promote learning (score: 47), coursework that has emphasized challenging cognitive tasks (score: 44), and with interactions with other students and faculty and staff members (score: 44). The lowest score was reported on level of engagement in interactions with faculty (score: 32).
Compared to students at 34 peer institutions, WFU seniors reported, with a small effect size, more frequently experiencing effective teaching methods that promote student learning (47 vs 41), active engagement with course material (43 vs 39), the ability to use and understand numerical data (40 vs 35), working with peers to solve problems and deepen their understanding of course content (39 vs 36), the viewpoint that the institution emphasized student success (39 vs 34), and interactions with faculty (32 vs 28).
WFU senior respondents scored similarly by all race/ethnicity on all Engagement Indicators, but differed by sex and survey year. With a medium effect size, male students more frequently held discussions with those from other backgrounds than female students (47 vs 40), and with a small effect size, males also reported more frequently using and understanding numerical data (44 vs 37). Likewise, with a small effect size, respondents in 2025 reported the perception that WFU placed greater emphasis on student success (39 vs 34), having more frequent discussions with those from other backgrounds (43 vs 39), and more frequent active engagement with course material (43 vs 40) compared to respondents in 2023.
For the full results and comparisons, please see the Engagement Indicators section below.
Due to their positive associations with student learning and retention, NSSE asks students about six undergraduate opportunities that are considered High-Impact Practices (HIPs). Participation in a High-Impact Practice is reported as the percentage of students who responded “done or in progress” for all HIPs (except service-learning, for which they reported at least “some” of their courses included a community-based project).
Overall, WFU seniors were most likely to participate in an internship or field experience (75%). Conversely, WFU seniors reported participating in a learning community or similar formal program (31%) the least out of all HIPs.
WFU seniors reported different participation rates across two HIPs by sex. With a medium effect size, more female students participated in a study abroad experience (75% vs 44%) than male students. With a small effect size, more female students participated in an internship or field experience (81% vs 66%) than male students.
By race/ethnicity, two differences were observed among WFU seniors. With a small effect size, a larger proportion of White students reported participating in a study abroad program (71% vs 47%) and a culminating senior experience (63% vs 46%) than Underrepresented Minority students.
By survey year, WFU seniors reported a difference in participation rates for studying abroad. With a small effect size, a larger proportion of 2025 respondents reported participation in a study abroad program (62% vs 51%) than 2023 respondents.
For the full results and comparisons, please see the High-Impact Practices section below.
The NSSE presents students with items about their backgrounds and goals. Among all WFU respondents,
For the full results and comparisons, please see the Respondent Profile section below.
Although less stable than Engagement Indicators, responses to individual survey questions may provide a closer look at specific issues and notable differences across groups.
Among all WFU senior respondents, 95% felt that instructors taught course sessions in an organized way, while 44% reported frequently working with a faculty member on activities other than coursework. In a typical week, students reported on average spending the most time preparing for class (16 hours) and relaxing and socializing with friends (13 hours). The average for the quality of interactions on a seven point scale ranged from 4.9 for academic advisors to 6.0 for faculty.
Many differences among WFU seniors by sex were observed. For example, based on the effect sizes, males tended to have more discussions with different people (e.g., countries, economic background, political views), while females tended to connect their learning more often to societal problems and prior experiences.
By race/ethnicity, WFU seniors responded differently across several individual questions. For example, White students tend to report gains more frequently in working effectively with others (94% vs 83%) and agreement with the institutional emphasis on spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work (90% vs 79%).
Several differences were found in senior responses by survey year, all with a small effect size. Among these were a higher proportion of 2025 seniors who reported an institutional emphasis on providing support for overall well-being (78% vs 63%) and on helping manage non-academic responsibilities (47% vs 35%). Additionally, among these were a lower proportion of 2025 respondents reported an institutional emphasis on spending significant amounts of time studying and on academic work (86% vs 94%).
For the full results and comparisons, please see the Individual Items section below.
Wake included two Topical Modules with this year’s survey. The Academic Advising (AA) Module asks students to reflect on their experiences at WFU with academic support resources and their interactions with academic advisers. The Senior Transitions Module focuses on students’ post-graduation plans, confidence in skill development, and perceived links between their major and future plans.
Among all WFU senior respondents, nearly all discussed academic interests, course selections, academic performance, or future plans with resources in closer relation to them, such as assigned advisors, friends, or other students. About one-third or fewer met with disability, accessibility services, or TRIO Program staff. Respondents listed friends, other students, family members, and faculty as the most helpful in these discussions.
WFU seniors differed by sex for many items on the Academic Advising Module. With a medium effect size, a larger proportion of male than female students reported more frequent discussions concerning resources for well-being (61% vs 36%). With a small effect size, a higher proportion of male students than female students reported feeling supported for their emotional and physical health (95% vs 81%) and having discussions, such as those related to study abroad, internships, service learning, and research (73% vs 55%) and co-curricular activities (63% vs 47%). With a small effect size, a higher proportion of female students than male students tended to meet with career services (88% vs 72%).
By race/ethnicity, WFU seniors differed in responses to three items, all with a small effect size. A larger proportion of URM students than White students reported meeting with TRIO programs staff (36% vs 16%), feeling helped by academic advisor(s) available to any student (86% vs 67%), and discussing academic goals and future plans (78% vs 61%).
Among all senior respondents, approximately nine out of ten expressed confidence in their ability to think critically, solve problems creatively, and communicate clearly, while 20% would choose a different major or field if they were to start over.
By sex, WFU seniors responded similarly to all but three items. With a medium effect size, male students felt more confident in their financial, business management, and entrepreneurial skills (75% vs 43%) and their technological skills (94% vs 73%) than female students. With a small effect size, a larger proportion of male than female students reported planning to be self-employed, an independent contractor, or start their own business someday (28% vs 10%).
By race/ethnicity, WFU seniors responded similarly to most items. With a medium effect size, a larger proportion of Underrepresented Minority students reported planning to be self-employed, an independent contractor, or start their own business someday (31% vs 10%) than White students. With a small effect size, a larger proportion of Underrepresented Minority students felt more confident in their financial, business management, and entrepreneurial skills (67% vs 49%) than White students.
For the full results and comparisons, please see the Topical Modules section below.
Academic Advising
Senior Transitions
Academic Advising
Senior Transitions
Academic Advising
Senior Transitions