Helping Students Make Informed Choices About College
Category: Pathways to and Through Postsecondary
Instrument Overview
Expert Notes AvailableView expert commentary on strengths and cautions for this instrument
Strengths
Complements NSSE data by connecting expectations with later college experiences.
Cautions
Most useful when paired with follow-up engagement or outcomes data. Student expectations may change quickly after college enrollment begins.
The Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) is a student survey given to incoming college students, usually before they start their first term. It collects information about students’ high school experiences, academic preparation, and expectations for college. BCSSE was introduced in 2007 as a companion to NSSE to capture incoming students’ backgrounds and expectations before they begin college. The survey asks about study habits, academic confidence, and plans for engagement, such as how much time students expect to spend studying or participating in campus activities.
BCSSE is designed to help colleges understand who their incoming students are and what they need to succeed. Schools often use it to inform advising, orientation, and first-year programs. It is also commonly paired with the National Survey of Student Engagement to compare students’ expectations with their actual experiences later on.
The survey is customizable, but "core" items cover:
- Student academic expectations and beliefs for the upcoming year
- Expected academic difficulty and help-seeking
- Concerns about loneliness, mental health, stress, sleeping, and more
- Expected financial difficulty and financial sources for paying for college
- Institutional choice, parent education, and number of friends attending
Organization
Collection Category(ies)
Content
Grades
Post secondary
Languages
English
Administration Information
Length
Varies; institutions can customize the survey
Access and Use
Developer
Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research
Contact
Contact form for Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research: https://iu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LeH3pkcRl6xzg2
Open Access
Yes
Use in Research
Sanderson, R. A. (2010). Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE) 2009 OSU Results.
Fassett, K. T., & Pike, G. R. (2022). Top college choices and friendship differences by sexual orientations. Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice, 59(2), 119-133.
Psychometrics (additional guidance)
Psychometric References
Psychometric Report: Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the BCSSE Scales
Paulsen, J. & Cole, J. (2019). https://nsse.indiana.edu/bcsse/BCSSE-survey/bcsse-scales-and-psychometric-report.html
Almalki, M., & Pleasants, B. (2021). Modifying and Translating the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement for Use in Saudi Arabia: The Difficulty of Validation. Michigan Academician, 48(1).
Populations of Validation
First-year college students. Racially diverse but majority White (58%). Nearly half first-generation (48%). High financial aid participation (83%). Majority women (57%)
