The Survey

Extensive research has identified good educational practices that are directly related to retention and other desired student outcomes. The Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) builds on this research and asks students about their college experiences — how they spend their time; what they feel they have gained from their classes; how they assess their relationships and interactions with faculty, counselors, and peers; what kinds of work they are challenged to do; how the college supports their learning; and so on.

CCSSE’s Survey Instrument

Note: For CCSSE 2025, participating colleges that select not to administer an additional item set of their own choosing will automatically receive a 15-item set on Campus Accessibility free of charge.

You may download PDF files to view and print the following versions of the survey.

In order to keep the surveys fresh and relevant for the community college field, CCCSE each year selects a "special-focus" topic and develops new item sets that enable colleges to explore more deeply certain issues that are key to improved student engagement and student success. Thus, we are able to address issues of current importance to both colleges and their students, while also keeping the core survey stable.

For an additional fee, a participating CCSSE college may add a maximum of 15 additional items to the survey. Additional survey items may be chosen from the CCSSE collection of standard additional item sets. Alternatively, a college or consortium may opt to create a custom additional item set by selecting items from the Additional Items Catalog, developing new items, or submitting a combination of both. Please visit the Options and Rates section of the website for more information. When selecting additional items, be sure to check items against those on CCSSE to avoid overlap.

The Research Behind CCSSE

In 2006, CCCSE completed a major validation research study on the version of the CCSSE instrument that was administered from 2005 to 2016. This study examines the relationship between student engagement and community college student outcomes. While the connection between student engagement and student success has been emphasized in a number of major studies and reports on the undergraduate experience, the extant literature has focused almost exclusively on students in four-year colleges and universities — until now. This report on a three-pronged collection of studies validates the relationships between student engagement and a variety of student outcomes in community colleges — including academic performance, persistence, and attainment.

Student Engagement and Student Outcomes: Key Findings from CCSSE Validation Research
Working Paper: CCSSE Validation Research 2006

For information about the research related to the items on CCSSE, view the Annotated Bibliography.

To learn more about CCSSE and the work related to the psychometric properties of the survey, click on the following link.

CCSSE Psychometrics Paper

In 2010, the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario released a study that explores the validity, within a Canadian college, of the CCSSE benchmarks of effective educational practice.

Assessing the Validity of CCSSE in an Ontario College

CCCSE Responds to Questions Regarding Student Engagement Surveys

See the article Will These Trees Ever Bear Fruit? A Response to the Special Issue on Student Engagement by Alexander C. McCormick and Kay McClenney in the The Review of Higher Education for more information.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement - a CCCSE instrument