FAQ National Student Survey

Do you have a question about the National Student Survey (NSE)? Most answers can be found in the frequently asked questions (FAQ). For more information or additional questions about the NSE, feel free to contact the NSE projectteam. If you have a question about how your university or university of applied sciences will use NSE data, you can best ask the NSE contact at your institution.

What is the National Student Survey (NSE)?

The National Student Survey (NSE: Nationale Studenten Enquête) is a nationwide survey on student satisfaction. Every year, almost all students in Dutch higher education are invited to participate and give their opinion on their course programme and their university or university of applied sciences. The results are used to inform prospective students about course programmes, via Studiekeuze123.nl as well as other outlets. In addition, participating university and university of applied sciences use the results to improve the quality of their course programmes.

Who is behind the NSE?

The National Student Survey is organised by Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze. Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze is the result of a cooperation by the Dutch Ministry of Education, the student organisations LSVb and ISO, umbrella organisations the Association of Universities (Universiteiten van Nederland), Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (Vereniging Hogescholen) and the Dutch Council of Training and Education (NRTO). Studiekeuze123 is wholly funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The research of the National Student Survey is carried out by the Dutch research institute MWM2.

When is the deadline to take the survey?

Participating in the 2025 National Student Survey is possible from 13 January until 9 March 2025.

Can I fill out the NSE questionnaire on my smartphone?

Sure! You can fill out the NSE on your smartphone, on a tablet or a computer. You can even start it on one device and continue on another. For instance, you could start the questionnaire on your desktop computer and continue on your phone while you’re on the train. This works when you open the link from your email.

I’ve lost the invitation email/link to the questionnaire. How can I participate in the NSE?

To be able to participate in the NSE, you need the personalised link we’ve sent you at the email address your institute of higher education gave us. Did you lose your link to the questionnaire? Have it sent to you again by using the lost link tool at www.nse.nl/en. You can find the tool at the top of the page during the months it is possible to fill in the survey.

When am I eligible to win one of the prizes?

Every year Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze organizes a raffle with great prizes among the students who participate in the National Student Survey. To be eligible to win one of the prizes, participants of the National Student Survey need to fully completed the questionnaire in the period from 13 January up to and including 9 March 2025.

Learn more about the prizes and the 2024 raffle

What do you do with the results?

The NSE results are used for:

Study-selection information: prospective students can compare the scores of different programmes on Studiekeuze123.nl.

Improving education: universities and universities of applied sciences use the results to determine where they can improve their programmes.

National monitoring of student satisfaction: various organisations – including the Inspectorate of Education; the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW); the Expertisecentrum inclusief onderwijs; and umbrella organisations the Association of Universities (Universiteiten van Nederland) and Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (Vereniging Hogescholen) – use the results to monitor trends in student satisfaction over several years so that they can set their policies accordingly.

Research: the NSE results are publicly available and retrievable for (scientific) research purposes. On request, Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze will grant access to the NSE benchmark file. This is an anonymised file that does not comprise personal information.

What about my privacy?

Because the university or university of applied sciences at which you study is participating in the NSE, Lanelijk Centrum Studiekeuze receives your email address, and other additional information from your institution. More information about the nature of the information Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze receives, and how the information is processed, can be found on the page NSE en Privacy (in Dutch, information in English will be available from December 14th, 2024).

How did you get my email address and other information?

Which parties do you share personal information with?

Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze processes participating students’ questionnaire results (without including email addresses) to create anonymised products and/or data files. These products and files are not traceable to individuals. Examples of these products are Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze’s degree programme database (Studiekeuzedatabase) with the average satisfaction rates for each degree programme. Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze also publishes the NSE public benchmark file, which comprises all results, anonymised on an individual student level, for detailed analyses.

Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze does not transfer personal data to third parties without the explicit permission of the person concerned. The Dutch Expert Centre on Inclusive Education (ECIO) will receive a copy of the answers to the ‘Studying with a support need’ block of questions for purposes of research and informing prospective students on higher education course programmes. The file Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze sends to ECIO does NOT include personal data that can be traced back to you. ECIO only publishes aggregated data in the form of anonymised products.

How can I unsubscribe from reminder emails?

If you don’t want to participate, you can find an unsubscribe link in every NSE email you receive. Click the link to unsubscribe and you won’t get any more reminders.

I’ve already taken the survey, but I’m still getting a reminder. Why is this?

Perhaps our reminder email was sent out at or around the time your questionnaire answers came in. We’re sorry for the inconvenience. Another possibility is that you haven’t yet fully completed the questionnaire.

I’m a part-time student. Can I take the survey?

Please do! We would greatly appreciate the input of part-time students. Some questions may be slightly less relevant to your daily experiences at your university or university of applied sciences. Still, try to answer in a way that’s as close to your experiences as possible.

I’ve recently graduated/I’ve recently dropped out. Why am I being invited to take this survey?

We would appreciate your participation in the NSE because you have only quit your programme recently. We would really like to hear your opinion on the programme you were enrolled in and your university or university of applied sciences.

What if I have another question?

If you have a question about filling out the questionnaire, you can send an email to student@nse.nl. If you have a question about how your university or university of applied sciences will use NSE data, you can ask the NSE contact at your institution.

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