The standard sample for 2025 is restricted to first year undergraduate Bachelor students. To ensure that the standard samples from all institutions consist of similar students, please:
- include only students who are enrolled in the Winter 2025 semester AND were also enrolled in Fall 2024; students must have recent post-secondary experience within the current academic year either at the same institution or at another institution;
- include only first year undergraduate students who graduated from high school or CEGEP within the last two years (i.e. only “immediate direct-entry” students from high school or CEGEP);
- include only students enrolled in first-entry (first-level) 3-year or 4-year or 5-year Bachelor programs (programs that students can enter directly from high school or CEGEP);
- 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;
- exclude middle years, graduating, independent, special, Undeclared, Certificate, Diploma, and Continuing Education students.
It may not be possible to gauge first year students with 100 percent accuracy, but make your best estimate based on available information. At some institutions, first year 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 first year cohort of less than 1,000 students can choose the option for a smaller sample when registering. See Registration Page 6. Survey Results Package and Prices/ Prix.
CUSC-CCREU recommends that you keep a copy of your sample file. After September 30, 2025, PRA will destroy all sample files. PRA will notify each institution, and copy the CUSC-CCREU Board, that their students’ information has been destroyed.