The standard sample for 2026 is restricted to middle years undergraduate Bachelor students. To ensure that the standard samples from all institutions consist of similar students, please:
- include only students enrolled in first-entry (first-level) 3-year or 4-year or 5-year Bachelor’s programs (programs that students can enter directly from high school or CEGEP);
- include students who have prior post-secondary experience at your institution and/or other institutions (include continuing students, returning students, transfer students);
- include part-time and full-time students, students from in-province and out-of-province, Canadian and international students, and distance students as well as on-campus students;
- include second year students – those who have successfully completed the equivalent of the first year of study in a 4-year Bachelor program; at some institutions, this means students that have completed at least 30 credits;
- include third year students – those who have successfully completed the equivalent of the second year of study in a 4-year Bachelor program; at some institutions this means students that have completed at least 60 credits;
- include students in the second year of a 3-year Bachelor program;
- include students in the second, third, or fourth year of a 5-year Bachelor program;
- exclude first-year, graduating year, independent, special, Undeclared, Certificate, Diploma, and Continuing Education students.
It may not be possible to gauge middle years students with 100 percent accuracy, but make your best estimate based on available information. At some institutions, middle years is based on the number of credits completed.
The usual standard sample size is 1,000 (one thousand) students. It is essential that your sampling procedure ensures that each eligible undergraduate student has an equal chance of being included in the standard sample.
CUSC-CCREU allows institutions to provide a sample of more than 1,000 students. Institutions that have a middle years cohort of less than 1,000 students can choose the option for a smaller sample when registering. See Prices, and Registration Survey results package.
CUSC-CCREU recommends that you keep a copy of your sample file. After September 30, PRA will destroy all sample files. PRA will notify each institution, and copy the CUSC-CCREU Board, that their students’ information has been destroyed.