See the new 2026 SENSE survey instrument.
What’s Changed—and Why It Matters
What’s New
Earlier focus on what shapes momentum
- Entry and onboarding
- Early momentum and advising
- Supports and conditions for progress
These areas reflect experiences students are most likely to have in the first weeks—and where colleges can act quickly.
Stronger emphasis on career, transfer, and basic needs
- Career exploration and labor-market alignment
- Opportunities to explore interests, skills, earnings, and in-demand jobs
- Basic needs awareness, use, and satisfaction (food, housing, transportation, childcare, healthcare)
These topics were limited in earlier versions and are now captured as coherent, actionable areas.
Clearer belonging and connection items
- Direct questions about whether the college feels welcoming
- Whether students have made meaningful connections
Previously inferred indirectly, these perceptions are now asked explicitly.
More flexible student services structure
- Three distinct domains:
- Student services (advising, career, transfer, disability, veterans)
- Academic support services (tutoring, coaching, library, computer labs)
- Essential services (basic needs)
- Consistent awareness → use → satisfaction flow
This structure supports clearer analysis and targeted improvement.
Expanded early risk indicators
- Likelihood of withdrawing due to specific barriers
- Early academic disruption (missed classes, assignments, course materials)
What Was Removed—and Why
Why fewer classroom engagement items?
SENSE 2026 intentionally removes many detailed classroom engagement frequency questions (for example, how often students asked questions in class or worked with classmates).
This change does not mean classroom experiences are less important. Instead, it reflects timing and data quality.
- Early in the semester, many students:
- Have limited classroom exposure
- Are still adjusting schedules
- Have not yet experienced the full range of instructional practices
At this point, detailed frequency questions can produce data that are premature or difficult to interpret. SENSE 2026 prioritizes experiences that are more likely to have occurred early and that colleges can influence immediately.
Classroom engagement and instructional quality remain essential—and are better examined through CCSSE.
- Other streamlining
- Reduced placement testing and developmental education detail to reflect current norms
- Simplified orientation items (participation retained; evaluative judgments removed)
What’s Different Overall
- Less about what students did
- More about what colleges provide
- Stronger alignment with early action and equity
- Designed for timely insight, with full reporting later
SENSE 2026 supports conversations when they matter most—while continued reporting later still informs long-term planning, including career and transfer outcomes.
