Student Experience Snapshot 2023: Eight Insights on What Students Value and How Well Colleges & Universities Are Meeting Their Needs

How does today’s student experience compare to before the pandemic? How satisfied are students with their classes, community, technology, facilities, and support services? Do they feel like they belong? Are students growing and developing the knowledge, skills, and networks they need? What do they want to get out of college? What do they expect in the workplace after college? 

We answer these questions and more in brightspot’s annual national Student Experience Snapshot, a survey of a representative sample of students that asks them about 68 different aspects of their experience in college. In this whitepaper, we’ll review the key findings and the opportunities for colleges and universities to improve the student experience at their institution – and in doing so improve their enrollment, retention, and graduation rates. 

Students go to college for different reasons. To forge their identity. Be part of a community. Learn about a topic of interest. Get a credential that leads to a career. It might be all or some of these reasons, but common across them is a desire to grow. Growing in college means being challenged and gaining confidence. Working on a team to solve problems. Gaining skills and knowledge. Establishing a path and making progress along it. 

Among the eight key insights in this whitepaper, it turns out that growth is the facet of student experience that is the best indicator of students’ overall satisfaction, their likelihood to recommend their college or university, and of how they rate their satisfaction with their classes, support services, facilities and technology, and the campus community and culture. Perhaps more surprising is that this sense of personal growth varies based on the characteristics of the student and the type of institution. 

The Student Experience Snapshot is a student experience survey that we conduct nationally on an annual basis and for specific colleges and universities. The survey looks at 68 different dimensions of student experience, grouped into categories of overall satisfaction, personal growth, academics, student services, facilities, and technology. This year’s Snapshot was administered in December of 2022 to 504 undergraduate students at four-year institutions, of which 76% were public institutions and 24% were private institutions. Considering race, income, and variety of other characteristics such as the percentage first-gen, transfer, part-time, and international students, the survey is a generally representative sample of the undergraduate student body at four-year institutions nationally. Readers can refer to Table A in Appendix below for the demographics of the survey panel and how it compares to national data.  

Insight 1: We’re not yet at pre-pandemic levels of student experience – and improving it shouldn’t be about going back. 

We are not yet back to pre-pandemic ratings of student experience. Overall, about 75% of students are satisfied with their experience. This is consistent with the 2022 State of College Student Experience report by Qualtrics where 75% of students were satisfied. But more importantly, the likelihood of a student to recommend their institution is five points below where it was in 2019. In Fall 2019, the average student Net Promoter Score (NPS) was 21. During the Summer of 2020 it dropped to –1. It then rebounded to 14 in Fall 2021. For this survey administered in December of 2022, it increased slightly to 16.

While it’s helpful to see how the average NPS has changed over time, it’s just as important to see that the likelihood to recommend your college or university varies significantly by group. Women, adult learners, and students with children all have significantly higher Net Promoter Scores than their counterparts. Students with disabilities have a notably low score at –9, which is discussed further in Insight 5 of this paper.

This could impact enrollment if students are less likely to recommend their college or university – an extra threat to the anticipated enrollment cliff. While many factors could be improved to increase an institution’s Net Promoter Score, a student’s sense of growth is the most linked to a student’s overall satisfaction – it has the highest correlation (0.58) with their overall satisfaction of any of the facets we track.

What might growth look like for today’s students? According to the Wiley State of the Student Report 2022 only 46% of students feel well-prepared for future careers. And increasingly, these careers will require skills in a hybrid environment. Gallup’s Future of Hybrid Work reports 53% of employees expect to work hybrid while 24% expect to be exclusively remote. For students, growth happens both in the classroom as well as by connecting with their community – through teamwork, leadership opportunities, solving real-world problems, and connecting with mentors and peers. These growth opportunities will require collaboration, communication, and connection both in person and through remote channels. 

While institutions will want to match the satisfaction that students had in 2019, the goal should not be to “go back” but to instead support students to grow in ways that prepare them for a new, post-pandemic hybrid reality. Institutions can adapt by providing relevant experiences in class, flexibility in the mediums in which they engage, and more real-world impact in their work – all of which we discuss in this paper. It turns out the ways to ensure that students feel a sense of belonging, get the support they need, thrive in class, explore career paths, and growth are all tied to how colleges and universities must adapt for the future.

Insight 2: Growth is students’ top priority but they are divided as to whether they are growing in college.  

Students greatly value their opportunities to grow in college and this is tied to their overall satisfaction. In our survey, we examine growth by asking students about being challenged and gaining confidence, gaining skills and knowledge, working on a team and solving problems, and exploring and making progress on a career path. We then look at students’ sense of personal growth on average and by group to understand meaningful differences. 

There are several aspects of personal growth that are falling short of students’ expectations: 63% are satisfied with teamwork, 58% are satisfied with solving real-world problems, and 54% are satisfied with exploring and preparing for career paths. This is consistent with Wiley’s State of the Student Report 2022 that highlights the need to connect classes with a career and enable students to solve real-world problems. In that report, 81% of students say it’s important or very important for schools to offer real company-led projects but only 30% of instructors say they offer these opportunities. 

It’s even more important to understand that the sense of personal growth in college varies based on the characteristics of the student. When controlling for various background and demographic variables (e.g., age, institution type, class level, first-gen status, etc.), Students with disabilities rate their growth significantly less than Students without disabilities. Women rate their growth higher than men. Adult learners over 25 rate their growth higher than those under 25. Student athletes rate their growth higher than non-athletes. Students with children also rate their growth higher than students without children. Students at private colleges and universities also rated their growth higher than at public ones. 

It is possible that growth is more apparent in hindsight and that after college today’s students will have a greater sense of their growth; for example, Pew research found that 79% of college grads say going to college helped them grow personally and intellectually, 70% that it opened doors to job opportunities, and 65% that it helped develop knowledge and skills for work. Beyond providing opportunities for being challenged, working as a team or on real-world projects, and connecting class and career, colleges and universities can also close these gaps through more reflection and better communication. 

Insight 3: Students value their experience out of class as much as they value their experience in it.

One way to understand what students value is to ask them how they’d allocate their tuition toward different aspects of their experience: classes and research projects, student support services, facilities and technology, clubs and student activity, and being part of a community. Over the last three years, while there have been some fluctuations, students have put an average of 50% of the value in classes and research, 24% in facilities and technology, 17% in clubs and community, and 9% in student services. So, students value their experiences outside the classroom or lab as much as their classes and research. Juniors and Seniors tend to value classes more than those in the first two years though, and adult learners value research projects more than those younger than 25. All of these activities represent opportunities for students to grow; whether it’s a class project working with a community group, learning a technology they’ll use at work, or going to the career center to find an internship. 

Another way to understand what students value is to ask them why they are going to college. Students’ top priority is overwhelmingly in getting a degree/certificate, with 67% of students indicating this as their top priority and 88% listing this in their top 3 priorities. The second tier of priorities when it comes to why students go to college consists of gaining valuable skills (58% in top 3), learning about a topic of interest (56% in top 3), and gaining financial stability (47% in top 3). The third tier of priorities includes being part of a community (27% in top 3) and forging their identity (24% in top 3). 

Ranking community near the bottom in their reasons for going to college may be surprising, given the importance of belonging to student success. But it is consistent with student rankings when asked about the importance of different aspects of their experience in college, where they also ranked it as the least important among their growth, classes, support services, facilities, technology, and culture.

Insight 4: Students are satisfied with technology and facilities but less so with their classes and sense of community.

Students are satisfied with the technology they use, whether it’s online platforms to access courses or get help, Wi-Fi, software, or hardware. Of the 68 dimensions of student experience we track, students are most satisfied with their student services portal at 78%. 70% are satisfied with their learning management system for accessing and engaging with course materials. 75% are satisfied with software access and 68% with tech support. 

Students are also generally satisfied with their campus facilities. Of our 68 experience dimensions, library facilities have the second highest satisfaction at 76%. 75% of students are satisfied with athletics and recreation facilities, 71% with science labs and 70% with computer labs. Though only 63% are satisfied with residential facilities, 60% with dining facilities and 44% with affinity/identity centers like an LGBTQ+ center or multicultural center. On average, 68% of students are satisfied with facilities, which is somewhat higher than what Qualtrics found in their 2022 College Student Experience Report which found 62% satisfaction with campus facilities. 

Students’ satisfaction with their classes and sense of community tells a different story – and classes and community are related: we found a strong correlation (0.76) between how students rate their academic experience and their sense of community. For their academic experience, 66% of students feel engaged by their coursework, 61% feel inspired by their professors, and 61% are satisfied with how they interact with their peers in the class. This paints a more positive picture than Wiley’s State of the Student Report 2022 which found that 55% of undergraduates struggle to remain interested in their classes. But there are clear opportunities for improvement: only 48% of students are satisfied with mentoring and only 56% are satisfied with long-term class projects like capstone projects. Mentoring and engaging class projects are proven ways to ensure and accelerate students’ growth. Most striking is that of our 68 dimensions of experience, studying/working with peers outside of class is the lowest at 42%.  

The National College Health Survey of nearly 70,000 students found that only 65% feel a sense of belonging at their institution (report here) and this can vary by student group. Qualtrics research found that 59% of students feel connected to their peers on average, and this drops to 50% for part-time students and 49% for fully-online students. In our survey, students with disabilities, part-time students, transfer students, and commuter students all rate their sense of community somewhat lower than their counterparts. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) also found differences in the sense of community and belonging by group, for example students living on campus had 4.2% higher sense of belonging than commuter students and full-time students had a 2.5% higher sense of belonging than part-time students. 

One highlight when it comes to community is that 69% of students are satisfied with their experience being part of a diverse environment. This pays off in so many ways. Data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) shows that when students spend time with people who are different from them, this is a great predictor of their success. Other studies have found this leads to cognitive development and reduced prejudice. Research by Gallup and Purdue University found that students who regularly interact with people from different backgrounds are more than twice as likely to believe that their degree was worth the cost when they look back on their college experience.  

Insight 5: Institutions are not meeting the needs of students with disabilities. 

The National Center for College Students with Disabilities (NCCSD) estimates that 19% of undergraduate students have a disability. In our survey, 15% of the respondents self-reported a sensory, mobility, or physical disability; a cognitive or learning disability; a mental health disorder / psychological disability; or multiple of these.  

While colleges and universities offer a lot of support, students with disabilities report a significantly worse experience than students without disabilities. Perhaps the best indicator of this is gaps in Net Promoter Scores (NPS) between students with and without disabilities. The overall NPS in our survey was 16, but the NPS among students with disabilities was –9, with 31.6% detractors, 46.1% passives, and 22.4% promoters (i.e., 22.4 – 31.6 = –9.2).

Compared to students without disabilities, students with disabilities have statistically significantly lower satisfaction on 37 of the 68 aspects of student experience that we track. The five areas with the biggest gaps are: meeting students’ basic needs at 20 percentage points lower (45% satisfaction among students with disabilities vs. 65% satisfaction for those without), students’ managing their time and obligations at 20 percentage points lower (41% vs. 61%), dining facilities at 19 percentage points lower (44% vs. 63%), getting oriented as a new student at 18 percentage points lower (55% vs. 73%), and exploring internship and career options 15 percentage points lower (56% vs. 41%).

To better meet the needs of students with disabilities, colleges and universities can work in three tiers, much like Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. First, start with meeting students’ basic needs such as food and/or housing insecurity, transportation, and day care. Help students organize their time. Make sure they feel seen and heard.  Second, improve facilities like libraries and dining facilities to improve physical access as well sensory-friendly events, programs, and spaces. Third, build on this to enable students’ growth and development, through work on projects, internships.  

Insight 6: Provide real-world problem-solving opportunities, enhance student teamwork, and offer flexible learning options to enhance the academic experience.  

To improve the academic experience, colleges and universities can look for opportunities for students to solve real-world problems, given that only 58% of students from our survey are satisfied with this but 81% of students say it’s important or very important for schools to offer real company-led projects. There is also the opportunity for students to participate in research projects, a long established high-impact practice, since currently only 56% are satisfied with these opportunities. This can also help students build relationships with faculty, something only 59% of students are satisfied with now and something that can enhance the experience and enable student growth. 

Studying outside of class with peers is the biggest pain point for students of the 68 dimensions of student experience we track, with only 42% satisfied with “studying with peers outside the classroom.” Institutions can provide not only space and technology to help students work together but training and coaching as well. Beyond improving students’ satisfaction, teamwork is a critical skill for their future employers. In the longstanding American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) “What Employers Want” survey, effective teamwork is at the top of the list, with 62% of employers rating this very important. These student projects help students grow and pay off in other ways as well. Gallup and Purdue University found that students who completed semester-long projects were 1.8x more likely to be engaged at work after graduation – but only 32% had these opportunities. Only 56% were satisfied with these opportunities in our survey.  

Institutions can also provide flexibility in where and how students learn, with more blended, hybrid, and fully-online options. EDUCAUSE’s 2022 research found that 59% of undergraduates want at least half of their classes face-to-face (i.e., on campus): 29% completely face-to-face, 12% mostly face-to-face, 18% about the same face-to-face and online, 9% mostly online, and 20% completely online. Those interested in completely online increased 4x since their pre-Covid 2020 survey. 

Our survey found a diverse mix of student learning preferences with related results, albeit with different categories. We asked students about their modality preferences between fully in-person (i.e., lectures/discussions in class; assigned work outside of class), blended/flipped learning (i.e., in-person class time reduced with some materials/lectures available online), hybrid learning (i.e., students join real-time sessions online or in-person), and fully–online learning (i.e., all lectures, discussions, and instructional materials online). Overall, we found students want 43% of their classes fully in-person, 17% blended, 18% hybrid, and 22% fully-online. Not surprisingly, adult learners, part-time students, students with children, and students with disabilities all prefer more online learning. Students at private institutions also preferred more in-person learning. Greater flexibility in where, when, and how to learn is also a growth opportunity for students as they enter (or advance in) a hybrid and technology-rich world of work. 

Insight 7: Enable students to connect with each other, with mentors, and with a career path to enhance the out of classroom experience. 

To enhance students’ time outside the classroom, colleges and universities can address the challenges highlighted in our survey with experiences that have proven impacts on student success and growth. Help students develop relationships and a sense of belonging through involvement in student groups, clubs, and activities since only 55% are satisfied with this. Improve and promote affinity/identity centers like a LGBTQ+ Center, Student Veteran Center, Multicultural Center, or Student Parent Center since only 44% of students are satisfied with these currently. Help them connect with a community and make an impact through service-learning projects. Only 52% of students are satisfied with these programs today, and historically only about 30% of students participate in service-learning projects. These activities have the added benefit of helping students get hired faster at higher salaries. 

In our survey, only 49% of students are satisfied with leadership opportunities, 48% with mentoring, and 54% with exploring internships and career paths. These are three big opportunities for institutions to improve their student experience. The chance to lead a student group, sports team, or even a student business helps students build valuable skills and connections – one study also found student leaders earn a 7% salary premium after graduation. Gallup’s research with Purdue University has shown the potential of these experiences. Students who had an encouraging mentor are 2.2x more likely to be engaged at work after graduation (but only 22% strongly agreed they had a mentor). This is also an opportunity to connect students and alumni, an area for improvement that Qualtrics research highlighted, with only 55% of students satisfied. 

Support services are also opportunities to enhance the student experience. Overall, the average student satisfaction with academic support services (e.g., advising, tutoring, research, etc.) and non-academic support services (e.g., orientation, financial aid, basic needs, etc.) is relatively low at 61%, notably lower than the 74% student satisfaction in Qualtrics survey. In our survey, orientation is a highlight, with 70% student satisfaction. There’s room for improvement in advising with only 62% student satisfaction. There is also an interesting relationship between campus facilities and the services offered within them. Sometimes they align and sometimes they do not.  62% of students are satisfied with student health and wellness services and 63% with the student health center. Library spaces outperform the services with 76% of students satisfied with facilities but only 63% satisfied with help finding information and conducting research. Food service outperforms dining facilities, with 70% satisfaction with food service but only 60% satisfaction with dining halls. Interestingly, our findings suggest that student support services are related to students’ sense of the campus culture; we found a strong correlation between the two (0.75). 

Internships are a great way to connect classes to career paths beyond the real-world projects and service-learning activities already mentioned. In the same Gallup research, students who had internships were 2x as likely to be engaged at work after graduation (but only 29% had one). The chance to explore and test a career is particularly useful at a time when students are more uncertain about what field or major to pursue: Qualtrics research found that students citing this as a challenge doubled in the last year. Effective career services can help. Gallup found that students who found career services “very helpful” were 3x more likely to think their education was worth the cost, 3.4x more likely to recommend their school, and 3x more likely to donate to it after graduation. So can ensuring the coursework and skills are relevant for future careers: graduates who strongly agree the courses they took in college are relevant to their work and that they learned important skills during their education are a 5.5x more likely to strongly agree their education was worth the cost but only 26% of grads said this was the case. 

Insight 8: Students also prioritize growth as an important element of their future career.

Not only is growth a critical element of a student’s academic experience, it is of top importance in what they are looking for in a future career. Students were asked to rate nine different elements on a 5-point scale when thinking about their future career and workplace. On average, students rate opportunities to advance in their career as most important, closely followed by building valuable skills and flexible schedule/hours. 

Growth is especially important for women whose ranking of career advancement was statistically higher than that of men (4.15 compared to 3.90, respectively) as well as skill- and knowledge-building (4.06 compared to 3.90, respectively). Employers should also take note of this expectation as women now outnumber men in the US college-educated labor force according to Pew Research. 

Shifting expectations for the workplace require employer focus on team diversity and meaningful work. Women also rank team diversity comparatively higher than men (3.64 compared to 3.43, respectively). The Wiley State of the Student Report 2022 highlights the demand for meaningful work with 57% of students concerned with finding a job they’re passionate about after graduation, and 46% wanting to work for a company they believe in. Additionally, we found that first-gen students value working on impactful projects more than their continuing generation counterparts.

A flexible schedule was rated third among the average ratings and a reality of the workplace of the future. While fully-remote received the lowest average rating and is expected for just 24% of the future workforce, according to Gallup’s Future of Hybrid Work Report adult learners over 25 value the ability to be fully remote rating this 3.54 compared to students under 25 at 3.09. 

Conclusion: Building Student Experience Back Better 

In our work at brightspot, we see first-hand how students may struggle to feel a sense of belonging, to get the support they need, or to connect their classes with a future career. We also see colleges and universities as remarkable places that create transformative experiences for students – places where students can forge their identity, become part of a community, learn something they care about, build valuable skills, and get a credential that leads to a career. 

To realize this potential, institutions first need to understand their students and know that, given the diversity of today’s students, often one size fits none. Rethink policies, processes, and places for today’s students; coming to an office between 9 and 5 to sign a paper form won’t work for adult learners, part-time students, commuter students, or student parents – collectively more than 1/3 of today’s students. Meet the needs of students with disabilities on-campus and online. 

Help students build relationships with peers, advisors, and mentors with events and programs, with responsive support services, and with inclusive and inspiring spaces. Help students make connections between their classes and a career through real-world problem-solving, service-learning projects, and internships. Do all this in a way that enables student growth so that students are gaining knowledge, skills, confidence, and focus – and make them more aware of it through more reflection and communication. 

If you would like to take a snapshot of your student experience or need help identifying ways to transform your student services, facilities, and technology to improve it, please get in touch.  

As you move ahead, this collection of tools and insights on student experience can help. Good luck reimagining your student experience in 2023 and beyond!

APPENDIX 

Table A: Survey Respondents 

The following table summarizes the survey respondents in comparison to national demographics. Considering race, income, and variety of other characteristics such as the percentage first-gen, transfer, part-time, and international students, the survey is a generally representative sample of the undergraduate student body at four-year institutions nationally.