The biennial gradSERU survey examines graduate students’ experiences across the entire spectrum of their graduate career and found students largely pleased—but identified some areas for improvement.

The results from the 2023 gradSERU (Student Experiences in the Research University) survey are now available.

The survey found that while students reported feeling a strong sense of belonging here at CU Boulder and are satisfied with the advising, education and research opportunities that they are receiving, there were still areas for improvement. These include compensation and general campus climate for students of color or those with disabilities.

Administered between March 13 and May 5, 2023, this biennial survey was designed to examine students’ experiences across the entire spectrum of their graduate career. It was sent to almost all non-professional graduate students enrolled in the spring 2023 semester, totaling 3,848 students. Overall, 1,395 students responded, for a response rate of 36%—up from 28% in 2021.

"Thank you to everyone who responded to the gradSERU survey last spring. Your feedback is critical in allowing us to better understand the graduate student experience at CU Boulder,” said E. Scott Adler, the dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate affairs.

“We continuously work on the services and support that the university provides our graduate students, so it is imperative that we know more about who they are and their career goals. Findings such as these help to shape our priorities and initiatives in the Graduate School and the wider university."

Since receiving the 2021 gradSERU results, the Graduate School has implemented several changes, including:

• Student concerns regarding cost of living and compensation have resulted in continued stipend increases, expanded benefits and the remission of mandatory fees.
• Physical and mental well-being concerns of our graduate students led to embedded counselors in all schools and colleges, including the Graduate School. With the demand for ongoing counseling services increasing, the insurance co-pay for community providers was eliminated in this year’s insurance plan.
• Aware of the importance of the advising relationship to graduate student well-being, the Graduate School’s new advising and mentoring initiative consists of a working group of cross-campus collaborators tasked with identifying and promoting best practices in mentoring. The Graduate School was also recently named a Sloan Center for Systemic Change, which will provide funding to further develop its mentoring program for both faculty and students.
• The Graduate School hired a diversity, equity and inclusion faculty director to coordinate, promote and assist those efforts both within the college and in the departmental programs. The Graduate School also welcomed the Colorado Diversity Initiative, formerly in the Office of Diversity, Equity and Community Engagement (ODECE), which strives to recruit and retain a dynamic community of students from diverse backgrounds.

The gradSERU survey is administered every two years, with the first being in 2021 and the next in 2025. These surveys provide CU Boulder with the opportunity to track changes in graduate programs and compare student experiences over time.

Below are some of the important findings of the 2023 survey.

Financial

• Sixty-eight percent of graduate students receiving funding were satisfied or very satisfied with the financial support from all sources.
• Only about one-third of graduate students receiving financial support said their stipend sufficiently covered the cost of living in the Boulder area.
• More than half of respondents (54%) reported feeling worried they would not have enough money to cover the cost of housing, and more than one-quarter (28%) reported that they were worried that food would run out before they had money to buy more.

Academics and advising

• Overall, 89% of respondents indicated that their advisor was able to effectively help them. Eighty-six percent said they would choose their advisor again, and 84% said they would choose CU Boulder again.
• Most respondents were satisfied with their opportunities for research (90%), the quality of their graduate or professional program (85%), and access to quality advising (84%).
• Most graduate students still reported that they were treated fairly by faculty members in their program (91%).

Teaching and research experience

• Graduate students involved in research reported high ratings for feeling competent conducting research within their fields. More than 85% of respondents said they felt competent following best practices of integrity and reproducibility in scientific research, critically evaluating existing literature and data, and applying research methods.
• Many respondents reported that they are satisfied or very satisfied with their ability to conduct their own research independently (77%). Students also reported feeling satisfied with assisting faculty in research (63%) and collaborating with other researchers or students (63%).
• Almost 75% of students reported having had some sort of teaching duty. While only 42% of students reported having training for their teaching duties, 75% of those that did were satisfied with that training.
• The vast majority said teaching enhanced their academic experience and was helpful with respect to their professional development.

Health and well-being

• When asked about obstacles toward degree progress, the most frequently chosen response from graduate students (38%) was “course load,” which differs from 2021 where “emotional health problems” were the greatest obstacle. “Mental health problems” was the second most frequent factor (35%).
• Many students have a strong sense of belonging in their graduate or professional program. In 2023, 84% of respondents said they agreed or strongly agreed that they belonged in their program, and 85% said their program created a collegial and supportive environment.
• When asked about their awareness of mental health and wellness services, many students (93%) responded that they were aware of Counseling and Psychiatric Services (CAPS). Of the respondents who said they were aware and used CAPS, 63% said that the availability of appointments was sufficient to meet their needs.

Career plans

• Graduate students’ interest in non-academic careers has continued to grow. Respondents indicated that the careers they were most interested in were industry or for-profit sectors (74%), higher education institutions (63%) and government, non-educational institutions (55%).
• Seventy-seven percent of respondents said their primary advisor was helpful in providing guidance in academic career options and 61% said they were helpful in nonacademic career options.
• While only 38% felt that their program communicated post completion non-academic career options, 72% felt that their department was supportive of them exploring non-academic careers.

Equity and diversity 

In this area of the survey, students were asked comparative questions regarding whether the climate for various identity groups is "at least as good as" the climate for other identity groups.

• Seventy-six percent of respondents indicated the climate for females was at least as good as for males, while 96% of respondents indicated the climate for males was at least as good as it was for females.
• Seventy-six percent of LGBTQIA+ respondents rated that they were experiencing the same climate as that of heterosexual students. On the other hand, 85% of all graduate students indicated that the climate for LGBTQIA+ students was as good as it was for heterosexual students.
• Fifty-eight percent of respondents who identify as having a disability indicated that the climate was the same as students without disabilities, while 69% of respondents without disabilities indicated it was at least as good.
• Fifty-four percent of students of color felt that the climate was the same for them as other groups. Alternatively, 66% of all graduate students agreed the climate in their programs for students in historically marginalized race and ethnicity groups was at least as good as it was for other students.

The Graduate School sees the various sources of information about students and programs as critical to its ongoing planning and decision making and is committed to keeping the graduate student community informed of its progress as it works on crucial issues identified in the data. More information is available on the gradSERU web page.