North Dakota State University College Portrait

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Students
Find out more about the characteristics of students who attend NDSU.
Admissions
See how many students applied, accepted, and enrolled at NDSU. Learn more about students’ high school preparation and test scores.
College Costs & Financial Aid
Learn about costs to attend NDSU and how much financial aid is typically awarded.
College Cost Estimator
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Classes and Campus Life
Learn more about professors, where students live, and campus safety at NDSU.
Student Experiences
Discover ways to be actively involved in your education at NDSU – inside and outside the classroom.
Majors, Graduation and Next Steps
See which majors are most popular at NDSU and what recent graduates plan to do after earning their bachelor's degree.
Student Success & Progress
Discover how many students who start at NDSU finish their bachelor's degree and how long it takes.
Student Learning Outcomes
Figure out what learning gains to expect in critical thinking, writing, and other important subjects at NDSU.

Student Learning at North Dakota State University

All colleges and universities use multiple approaches to measure student learning. Many of these are specific to particular disciplines, many are coordinated with accrediting agencies, and many are based on outcomes after students have graduated.

Student learning is valued highly at NDSU, a point which is reflected in the university's first and second campus themes: "It's About People" and "Students are Paramount." Assessment of student learning became a campus-wide undertaking in the mid-1990s and continues to be a prominent activity. Academic units prepare annual assessment reports that document student learning both in individual classes and at the program level. General education outcomes also represent a vital component of these reports. Additionally, assessment results are linked to the university's budget process to further express an institutional commitment to student learning. Achievement on nationally-normed assessments and professional licensure examinations consistently demonstrate the high academic value received by students for their investment at NDSU.

Learning Assessment Examples

Pilot Project to Measure Core Learning Outcomes

Colleges and universities participating in the College Portrait measure the typical improvement in students' abilities to think, reason, and write using one of three tests. This is part of a pilot project to better understand and compare what students learn between their freshman and senior years at different colleges and universities.

2007 - 11 Results from the Collegiate Learning Assessment

The Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) measures critical thinking, analytic reasoning, problem solving, and written communication using a performance task and an analytic writing task. The scores from the tasks are reported separately below.

Test Administration Process

Test Information

Performance Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the performance task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1140
Senior Score: 1236
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.

Average EEA scores for tested students
Freshman Score: 1118
Senior Score: 1118

Analytic Writing Task Results for First-time, Full-time Students

The increase in learning on the analytic writing task is at or near what would be expected at an institution testing students of similar academic abilities.

Freshman Score: 1040
Senior Score: 1144
CLA score range: 400 to no maximum score.