NSSE 2025 Snapshot
University of Houston-Downtown
A Summary of Student Engagement Results
Student engagement represents two critical features of collegiate quality. The first is the amount of time and effort students put into their studies and other educationally purposeful activities. The second is how institutional resources, courses, and other learning opportunities facilitate student participation in activities that matter to student learning. NSSE surveys undergraduate students in their first and final years to assess their levels of engagement and related information about their experience at your institution.
The comparison group featured in this report is
Texas Universities Comparison Group
See your Selected Comparison Groups report for details.
This Snapshot is a concise collection of key findings from your institution’s NSSE administration. We hope this information stimulates discussions about the undergraduate experience. Additional details about these and other results appear in the reports referenced throughout.
Engagement Indicators
Sets of items are grouped into ten Engagement Indicators, organized under four broad themes. At right are summary results for your institution. For details, see your Engagement Indicators report.
Theme Engagement Indicator
Higher-Order Learning
Reflective & Integrative Learning
Key: Academic Challenge
Your students’ average was significantly higher (p < .05) with an effect size at least .3 in magnitude.
Your students’ average was significantly higher (p < .05) with an effect size less than .3 in magnitude.
Your students’ average was significantly lower (p < .05) with an effect size less than .3 in magnitude.
Learning Strategies
Quantitative Reasoning
Collaborative Learning
Your students compared with
Universities First-year Senior
No significant difference. Learning with Peers Experiences with Faculty Campus Environment
Discussions with Diverse Others
Student-Faculty Interaction
Effective Teaching Practices
Your students’ average was significantly lower (p < .05) with an effect size at least .3 in magnitude.
High-Impact Practices
Due to their positive associations with student learning and retention, certain undergraduate opportunities are designated "highimpact." For more details and statistical comparisons, see your High-Impact Practices report.
Quality of Interactions
Supportive Environment
Service-Learning, Learning Community, and Research w/Faculty
First-year Senior
Service-Learning, Learning Community, Research w/Faculty, Internship, Study Abroad, and Culminating Senior Experience
Academic Challenge: Additional Results
NSSE 2025 Snapshot
University of Houston-Downtown
The Academic Challenge theme contains four Engagement Indicators as well as several important individual items. The results presented here provide an overview of these individual items. For more information about the Academic Challenge theme, see your Engagement Indicators report. To further explore individual item results, see your Frequencies and Statistical Comparisons, the Major Field Report, the Online Institutional Report, or the Report Builder.
Time Spent Preparing for Class
This figure reports the average weekly class preparation time for your students compared to students in your comparison group.
Reading and Writing
These figures summarize the number of hours your students spent reading for their courses and the average number of pages of assigned writing compared to students in your comparison group. Each is an estimate calculated from two or more separate survey questions.
Challenging Students to Do Their Best Work
To what extent did students' courses challenge them to do their best work? Response options ranged from 1 = "Not at all" to 7 = "Very much."
First-year
Academic Emphasis
How much did students say their institution emphasizes spending significant time studying and on academic work? Response options included "Very much," "Quite a bit," "Some," and "Very little."
Percentage Responding "Very much" or "Quite a
Item Comparisons
NSSE 2025 Snapshot
University of Houston-Downtown
By examining individual NSSE questions, you can better understand what contributes to your institution's performance on the Engagement Indicators. This section displays the five questionsa on which your students scored the highest and the five questions on which they scored the lowest, relative to students in your comparison group. Parenthetical notes indicate whether an item belongs to a specific Engagement Indicator or is a High-Impact Practice. While these questions represent the largest differences (in percentage points), they may not be the most important to your institutional mission or current program or policy goals, or equally available to all students. For additional results, see your Frequencies and Statistical Comparisons report.
First-year
Highest Performing Relative to Texas Universities
Institution emphasis on attending events that address important social/econ./polit. issuesc (SE)
Institution emphasis on helping you manage your non-academic responsibilities (…)c (SE)
Instructors provided feedback on a draft or work in progressc (ET)
Quality of interactions with student services staff (…)d (QI)
Instructors taught in a way that aligns with how you prefer to learnc
Lowest Performing Relative to Texas Universities
Participated in a learning community or some other formal program where… (HIP)
Instructors used examples or illustrations to explain difficult pointsc (ET)
Institution emphasis on attending campus activities and events (…)c (SE)
Explained course material to one or more studentsb (CL)
Spent more than 15 hours per week preparing for class
Senior
Highest Performing Relative to Texas Universities
Institution emphasis on attending events that address important social/econ./polit. issuesc (SE)
Institution emphasis on helping you manage your non-academic responsibilities (…)c (SE)
I feel valued by this institutionh (SB)
Reviewed your notes after classb (LS)
Discussions with…People from countries other than your own
Lowest Performing Relative to Texas Universities
Participated in a study abroad program (HIP)
Spent more than 15 hours per week preparing for class
Worked with a faculty member on a research project (HIP)
Completed a culminating senior experience (…) (HIP)
Participated in an internship, co-op, field exp., student teach., clinical placemt. (HIP)
14i. 14g. 15b. 9b. 8f.
Percentage Point Difference with Texas Universities
a. The items on this page come from the Engagement Indicators (EIs), High-Impact Practices (HIPs), Sense of Belonging (SB), the academic challenge questions on page 2, and four additional questions about effective teaching (new in 2021). Key to abbreviations for EI items: HO = Higher-Order Learning, RI = Reflective & Integrative Learning, LS = Learning Strategies, QR = Quantitative Reasoning, CL = Collaborative Learning, DD = Discussions with Diverse Others, SF = Student-Faculty Interaction, ET = Effective Teaching Practices, QI = Quality of Interactions, SE = Supportive Environment.
b. Combination of students responding "very often" or "often."
c. Combination of students responding "very much" or "quite a bit."
d. Rated at least 6 on a 7-point scale.
e. Percentage reporting at least "some."
f. Estimate based on the reported amount of course preparation time spent on assigned reading.
g. Estimate based on number of assigned writing tasks of various lengths.
h. Combination of students responding "strongly agree" or "agree."
How Students Assess Their Experience
NSSE 2025 Snapshot
University of Houston-Downtown
Students' perceptions of certain aspects of cognitive and affective development, as well as their overall satisfaction with the institution, provide useful evidence of their educational experiences. For more details, see your Frequencies and Statistical Comparisons report.
Perceived Gains Among Seniors
Students reported how much their experience at your institution contributed to their knowledge, skills, and personal development in ten areas.
Perceived Gains
(Sorted highest to lowest)
Thinking critically and analytically
Writing clearly and effectively
Speaking clearly and effectively
Working effectively with others
Understanding people of other backgrounds (econ., racial/ethnic, polit., relig., nation., etc.)
Developing or clarifying a personal code of values and ethics
Acquiring job- or work-related knowledge and skills
Solving complex real-world problems
Being
Administration Details
Response Summary
Percentage of Seniors Responding "Very much" or "Quite a bit"
Satisfaction with UHD
Students rated their overall experience at the institution, and whether or not they would choose it again.
Rating Their
Experience as "Excellent" or "Good"
Percentage Who Would "Definitely" or "Probably" Attend This Institution Again
See your Administration Summary and Respondent Profile reports for more information.
What is NSSE?
Additional Questions
Your institution administered the following additional question set(s): Academic Advising Development of Transferable Skills
See your Topical Module report(s) for results.
NSSE annually collects information at hundreds of four-year colleges and universities about student participation in activities and programs that promote their learning and personal development. The results provide an estimate of how undergraduates spend their time and what they gain from attending their college or university. Institutions use their data to identify aspects of the undergraduate experience that can be improved through changes in policy and practice.
NSSE has been in operation since 2000 and has been used at nearly 1,700 colleges and universities in the US and Canada. More than 90% of participating institutions administer the survey on a periodic basis.
Visit our website: nsse.iu.edu
Prepared 2025-07-25
IPEDS: 225432