As they start college, the vast majority of incoming freshmen exude a strong desire to complete a degree, but many also express early concerns and attitudes that reduce their motivation and put them at risk for attrition. This report looks beyond standardized test scores and high school transcripts to explore a wide range of these noncognitive,…

Adult students (age 25 and older) make up almost 40 percent of the national undergraduate population. Since they are often balancing their college experience with work, family, and other responsibilities, adult students may have different priorities and challenges. What can campuses do to serve these students better and help more of them succeed?…

Ten years ago when Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) published its annual study of freshman motivations, those students were entering college in the shadow of the worst recession since the Great Depression. That report, which examined attitudes of students from 2009, provided insight into their motivations, attitudes, and needs in the midst of a very…

Higher education has seen significant changes in the student experience in the past 10 years. For the past decade, everything from student attitudes about college to the technology they use every day has impacted their satisfaction with, and perception of, the college experience. This report is a comparison of student satisfaction, separated by 10…

As entering students begin their college careers, they have been exposed to many mixed messages about whether college is "worth it"--from the media and public figures, to parents, to peers. There have also been significant changes in demographics, economics, college preparedness, and other key areas that may be influencing how freshmen…

The Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) Satisfaction-Priorities Surveys are the national standard for benchmarking student satisfaction in higher education. Since 1994, more than 2,900 colleges and universities have used the surveys to evaluate students' concerns that influence student success, college completion, student recruitment, strategic planning,…

The "2018 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College Report" examines the noncognitive motivations of college freshmen at the beginning of their first year and as they progress throughout that year. This report provides key insights into how freshmen are gauging their potential to graduate, what barriers (financial, academic,…

For more than two decades, the national standard for benchmarking student satisfaction in higher education has been the Ruffalo Noel Levitz Satisfaction-Priorities Surveys. Since their beginning in 1994, these benchmark surveys have been used by more than 2,900 U.S. colleges and universities to evaluate students' concerns that correspond with…

This report examines three focal points for understanding incoming first-year students' motivation to complete college: (1) academic motivational barriers and opportunities; (2) social motivational barriers and opportunities; and (3) financial motivational barriers and opportunities. [For "2016 National Freshman Motivation to Complete College…

Undergraduate student perceptions of academic advising at the University of Vermont were analyzed and compared by year in school and college/school within the university. Forty percent of the 925 respondents were arts and sciences students, a proportion representative of the overall enrollment distribution at the college. Students rated the…

Spring 1998 surveys of faculty and students at University of Akron, Community and Technical (C&T) College (Ohio) queried respondents regarding their first-year experience with a faculty academic advising project. Forty of the 72 (55%) full-time C&T faculty responded, and 279 of 400 (70%) student surveys were returned. Faculty findings included:…

Matriculation legislation, instituted in California in 1986, intended to develop a program of services to guarantee equitable access and success to all students who enroll in community colleges. In an effort to evaluate the success of its matriculation efforts, Sierra Community College (California) conducted a survey of 1,044 students in 1990. The…

This report presents the findings for private four-year colleges that participated in ACT's 2010 What Works in Student Retention survey. The report contains information pertinent to only these institutions. Appended are: (1) Data for Private Four-Year Colleges and Universities; and (2) What Works in Student Retention: Instrument. (Contains 15…

This report presents the findings for community colleges with twenty percent or more Black students enrolled that participated in ACT's 2010 "What Works in Student Retention survey." The report contains information pertinent to only these institutions. The following are appended: (1) Data for Two-Year Community Colleges with greater than or equal…

This report presents the findings for community colleges with twenty percent or more Hispanic students enrolled that participated in ACT's 2010 What Works in Student Retention survey. The report contains information pertinent to only these institutions. Appendices include: (1) Data for Community Colleges with greater than or equal to 20% Hispanic…