Examining measurement and structural invariance of the undergraduate Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey across peer institutions and academic colleges

The accurate assessment of undergraduate student experiences is a critical component of institutional research and improvement efforts, especially at large public research universities. The undergraduate Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey is a widely used instrument for capturing undergraduate student engagement, experiences, and satisfaction. Results can be compared across participating institutions to make peer comparisons within academic department or units. However, questions remain about the extent to which this survey operates equivalently across different institutional and college contexts. This study examined the measurement and structural invariance of one key factor from the undergraduate SERU survey—Satsifaction with Educational Experiences—across the University of Iowa’s peer institutions and within three academic colleges: Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business, and Engineering. Establishing survey comparability is essential for drawing valid inferences and supporting institutional benchmarking.