Each year students at universities around the United States are asked about their college experiences. More than 190 UST students were surveyed. The survey found that the University ranks high among its peers for offering challenging academic and learning activities for its undergraduate students. The NSSE research found that promising options for new students were learning communities and service learning programs. In the later years of college, study abroad, internships, research with faculty and a culminating senior experience served the purpose.

At UST, students can take part in programs such as the St. Augustine Living-Learning Community and Service Learning that combines classroom lessons with community service, such as the Innocence Project. An average of UST students study abroad and the University ranks in the top 20 on the Report on International Education Exchange.

NSSE examined five benchmarks: level of academic challenge, active and collaborative learning, student-faculty interaction, enriching educational experiences, and supportive campus environment. UST exceeded its peer comparison groups in each category for both first-year and senior students.

UST undergraduates also read more than 10 assigned books or book-length reading packs; students worked with classmates outside the class to prepare for class assignments and had serious conversations with students of other races, ethnicities or political views. They also participated in community service and volunteer work.

For seniors, the results were similar: UST students spend more than 10 hours a week in class preparation; students completed foreign language coursework and said that the University encouraged contact among diverse peers.

The NSSE study, titled “Experiences That Matter: Enhancing Student Learning and Success,” gives schools an idea of how well their students are learning and what they put into and get out of their undergraduate experiences.