The 60th CIRP Freshman Survey: Strategic Investment in Higher Education

The Cooperative Institutional Research Program (CIRP) has been a cornerstone of American higher education research since its establishment in 1966 by Dr. Alexander Astin at the American Council on Education. As the nation’s longest-running empirical study in this field, CIRP has provided invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of higher education. Since 1973, the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) has administered CIRP surveys.
In March 2025, HERI will launch the 60th administration of the CIRP Freshman Survey. More than 15 million students from over 1,900 institutions have participated, helping colleges and universities better understand their students and make data-driven decisions. Housed at CRESST, HERI has recently upgraded the internal survey portal. Enhancements to the portal help streamline the survey experience for administrators and students, increase efficiency, and give institutions more significant control over the survey management process.
The CIRP Freshman Survey provides a comprehensive profile of first-year students before they begin college. By gathering extensive information, institutions gain deeper insights into key areas of student backgrounds and expectations. The survey captures data on students’ high school behaviors, including their academic and extracurricular involvement, helping institutions understand their preparedness for college coursework. It also explores admissions decisions, shedding light on why students chose a particular institution and their other potential choices.
Beyond academics, the survey delves into students’ college expectations, including their goals and aspirations and their anticipated interactions with peers and faculty. Institutions can gain insights into students’ values and long-term goals, clarifying their motivations. Additionally, the survey gathers demographic information to help institutions understand the diversity of their incoming class. Another crucial aspect is students’ financial concerns, which can inform financial aid and support services strategies.
Participation in the CIRP Freshman Survey provides institutions with a detailed profile of their entering freshman class, alongside national normative data for similar institutions. This comparative analysis is invaluable for strategic planning, helping colleges refine recruitment and retention strategies based on data-driven insights. The survey results also support program development, allowing institutions to tailor student services and initiatives to meet incoming students’ needs better. Additionally, institutions can use the data to allocate resources more effectively, ensuring that support services are directed where they are needed most.
For almost 60 years, CIRP survey data has been key in improving institutional effectiveness through evidence-based decision-making. By understanding students’ backgrounds and expectations, institutions can create a more supportive and engaging student experience. The survey data is also valuable for accreditation and institutional reporting, providing necessary evidence for institutional effectiveness measures. Furthermore, institutions can identify emerging patterns and adjust policies and programs by tracking student demographic and behavioral trends over time.
Additionally, CIRP data can be combined with institutional records to analyze key issues such as retention rates, enrollment patterns, and program effectiveness, giving administrators a holistic view of their student population.
The CIRP Freshman Survey employs a rigorous methodology to ensure that its national norms accurately reflect the landscape of first-time, full-time freshmen across institutions of varying selectivity. Data from participating institutions undergoes careful weighting to maintain representativeness, ensuring valid and reliable comparisons across institutions. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic, participation rates have declined, impacting the ability to generate nationally weighted trends. Increased participation will enhance institutional decision-making and contribute to HERI’s ability to publish national trends once again.
Administering the CIRP Freshman Survey is a strategic investment in institutional success. By leveraging CIRP data, colleges and universities can better understand their students, benchmark against national trends, and use these insights for continuous improvement. This commitment to data-driven decision-making helps institutions enhance student experiences, improve retention, and strengthen academic programs.