The NSSE surveys first-year students and seniors. Meredith's mean benchmark scores of both first-year and senior students surpassed the average scores of students at the participating colleges and universities in the national sample.

The benchmark areas are Level of Academic Challenge, Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction, Enriching Educational Experiences and Supportive Campus Environment.

Meredith students reported high levels of engagement, rating Meredith higher in Active and Collaborative Learning, Student-Faculty Interaction and Enriching Educational Experiences than students at peer institutions and other women’s colleges.

Students reported a high degree of satisfaction with their Meredith experience. According to the 2011 NSSE survey,
•83% of first-year students felt Meredith placed substantial emphasis on academics;
•74% of first-year students frequently discussed readings or ideas from coursework outside of class;
•95% of seniors said they had discussed career plans with faculty; and
•By their senior year, 77% of students had participated in community service or volunteer work, and 68% had participated in an internship, field experience or clinical assignment.

Meredith is one of the 673 colleges and universities that participated in the 2011 NSSE. The College participates in NSSE because it provides feedback on effective educational practices and reflects how involved students are in experiences that lead to learning and personal development.

The College’s strong results in the NSSE survey are the latest indication of excellence earned by Meredith. Other recent honors include ranking third on the U.S. News & World Report list of the South’s Best Regional Colleges, being named to U.S. News’ “Great Schools, Great Prices” list, inclusion on Forbes’ 2011 Best Colleges list, and being called one of the “Best Colleges in the Southeast” by Princeton Review in 2011. Visit www.meredith.edu/admissions/current_rankingsfor more.

Date Submitted: 2011-11-30