Improving College Student Survey Response Rates: Evidence from a Split Questionnaire Design Experiment

Declining student survey response rates pose challenges for higher education assessment research focused on improving undergraduate education. This study explored one potential approach to increase response—a split questionnaire design—with a nonrespondent population from the 2023 National Survey of Student Engagement administration. Using a randomized controlled experiment with 20 U.S. institutions, we offered approximately 63,000 students the opportunity to complete either one of five short SQD surveys or the full-length instrument with over 100 questions. Results indicate SQD surveys yield modest but operationally meaningful response rate advantages relative to the complete instrument, particularly among graduating seniors as well as some minoritized student populations. Though institutional variation exists, SQD appears to be a viable strategy to improve student survey participation in higher education settings.