Faculty discussions spark some rigorous debates about the validity and reliability of the NSSE... But in the main, we value the information, attend to it, and move to create ways to shore up the soft areas exposed by the reports.
Daryl H. Stevenson, Dean of Academic Administration, Houghton College
Cost of Survey Participation
The base cost of NSSE is determined by undergraduate enrollment. Please note that oversampling and consortium fees are not included in participation and sampling fees.
Standard NSSE pricing based on total undergraduate enrollment
| Undergraduate Enrollment | Paper | Web+ | Web-Only* | Participation Fee | Sampling Fee |
| Less than 4,000 | 450 | 1,800 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $3,375 |
| 4,000 to 7,999 | 600 | 2,400 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $4,500 |
| 8,000 to 12,000 | 800 | 3,200 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $6,000 |
| More than 12,000 | 1,000 | 4,000 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $7,500 |
*All Web-only administrations are now offered as a census of all first-year and senior students. Institutions that do not want a census based on other assessment needs may request a smaller sample size.
The fee structure in the table below is for small institutions that have 400 students or less in their combined first-year and senior classes. The fee applies for either Web-only or paper administration and is based on combined first-year and senior enrollment (not total undergraduate enrollment). Institutions in smaller pricing tiers receive a census of all first-year and senior year students regardless of mode chosen.
NSSE pricing for institutions with combined first-year and senior enrollment of 400 or less
| Combined First-year and Senior Enrollment | Paper/ Web +/ Web Only | Participation Fee | Sampling Fee |
| Less than 200 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $1,500 |
| 201 to 300 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $2,250 |
| 301 to 400 | All First-year & Seniors | $300 | $3,000 |
Oversampling:
Institutions may survey additional students by adding to their NSSE-administered sample or by distributing paper surveys themselves on their campus. Paper oversamples administered by NSSE cost $7.50 per sampled student. Paper oversamples administered locally by the institution (distributed in classrooms, at residence hall meetings, etc.) cost $2.00 per survey sent to the institution. Web-only oversamples administered by NSSE cost $1.50 per sampled student. NSSE-administered oversamples must be of the same mode used for the institution?s standard sample (i.e., NSSE-administered paper oversamples are only available to paper mode institutions, and Web-only oversamples are only available to Web-only and Web+ mode institutions).
Consortia information is available here.
Withdrawal Fees:
NSSE fees will be billed in February 2010, but many NSSE administration costs are incurred prior to survey launch in late January. NSSE staff members strive to help all institutions successfully launch their survey administration, but institutions that withdraw from NSSE more than two weeks after registration approval will be billed the nonrefundable $300 Participation Fee. Additional cancellation fees for late withdrawals may apply, based on the schedule below.
| Date of Withdrawal | Billable Amount |
| Prior to Nov. 20 | $300 Participation Fee. |
| Nov. 20 to Dec. 11 | $300 Participation Fee + $300 Late Cancellation Fee. |
| Dec. 12 to Jan. 14 | $300 Participation Fee + ½ standard Sampling Fee. |
| Jan. 15 or later | $300 Participation Fee + standard Sampling Fee. |