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DESSE 2027
Understand the dual enrollment experience from the students who know it best. DESSE gives colleges actionable insight into what’s working, where students need more support, and how to create stronger pathways for student success.
CCSSE 2027
Turn student voice into action. CCSSE reveals how students experience college, helping institutions identify strengths, uncover opportunities, and make evidence-informed decisions that support student success.
CCCSE’s Mission
By delivering “aha” moments about the student experience based on insights that matter, CCCSE assists institutions and policymakers in using information to promote improvements in student learning, persistence, and attainment.
CCCSE Expands Research Access Through the Community College Data Hub
CCCSE is expanding access to its data by archiving datasets with the Community College Data Hub (CCDH) at the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan. This partnership will provide researchers, practitioners, and policymakers with broader and more sustainable access to CCCSE data. The first submission—data from the 2025 Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE)—has completed ICPSR’s curation process and is now available through the SENSE 2025 study page. The collection includes public-use data and information about applying for access to restricted-use data.
CCCSE also plans to submit data from the 2026 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) this fall. Additional updates will be shared as new datasets become available.
Explore the Community College Data Hub
The Community College Data Hub is a publicly available collection of datasets and related publications focused on community colleges and the students and communities they serve. The CCDH website is still being developed, but visitors can currently browse more than 50 available datasets.
Turn Student Engagement Data into Action
Aligning SENSE, CCSSE, and DESSE to the Next Frontiers of Community College Reform
This crosswalk tool connects SENSE, CCSSE, and DESSE data to the reform priorities described in Community College Research Center’s More Essential Than Ever: Community College Pathways to Educational and Career Success. It supports campus teams in using student engagement data to examine the student experience, identify gaps, and guide improvement.
Community Colleges Matter
Learn more about Why Community Colleges Matter.
Report on Culture of Caring
Essential Conditions for Community College Student Success: Maximizing Student Engagement by Fostering a Culture of Caring explores the importance of colleges establishing a culture of caring that reaches all students. The report draws on data from students at 127 community colleges responding to the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) and 58 colleges responding to the Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE).
Report on Parenting Students
Multiple Responsibilities, Single Mission: Understanding the Experiences of Community College Parenting Students examines the realities of community college students raising children while pursuing higher education. The findings presented in this report are based on data collected from students across 164 colleges during the 2024 administration of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE ).
Featured Publication
The Community College Student Experience Through the Lens of CCCSE Findings
Led by Director Dr. Courtney Adkins, this special issue of New Directions for Community Colleges explores the community college student experience through CCCSE data. Featuring research-to-practice articles on belonging, basic needs, dual enrollment, developmental education, and faculty experiences, it shows how CCCSE findings can inform decision-making and advance student success.
