What are some good survey questions to ask students?

Good student surveys mix short demographic questions (year, department, country) with 5–10 focused topic questions. Use rating scales (1–5) for opinions, single-choice for behavior frequency, and one or two open-text questions for context. Keep the whole survey under 3 minutes — completion rates collapse past that.

How do I get more responses to my student survey?

Use a specific title ("Sleep & exam stress at UK unis" beats "Student survey"), keep it under 10 questions, target a clear group (year, country, interests), and offer a small incentive — on CampusVerify every answer earns the respondent credits, which is why response rates are 5–10× higher than cold links.

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Guide · 8 min read

Survey questions for students

Q: What are good topics for surveys for students?

Strongest-performing topics on CampusVerify are sleep & wellbeing, study habits, AI use in coursework, dating & social life, money & part-time work, campus food, mental health support, career plans, and political/social attitudes. These are the topics students actually want to share opinions on.

Q: How many questions should a student survey have?

Aim for 8–12 questions for the best response rate. Under 5 feels thin; over 15 causes drop-off. If you need more, split into two surveys.

80+ proven questions across the topics university researchers, ed-tech founders, and student journalists ask most. Copy, adapt, and publish.

Why most student surveys fail

The two biggest reasons student surveys flop are vague topics and too many questions. A survey called “Student survey 2026” with 25 questions will get a 3–5% completion rate. A survey called “Sleep & exam stress at UK universities” with 8 questions will clear 40% — because the title tells the respondent who it's for and the length respects their time.

The questions below are organised by topic, and each one is tagged with the question type (rating, single-choice, or open text) so you can drop it straight into your survey. Mix 6–10 closed questions with one or two open-text questions and you'll get a survey that's short enough to finish and rich enough to analyse.

Academics & study habits

The most common university-research topic. Works for course design, ed-tech, and study-tool research.

On average, how many hours per week do you study outside of class?
Single choice
Options: <5 · 5–10 · 10–20 · 20–30 · 30+
Where do you do most of your studying?
Single choice
Options: Dorm/home · Library · Café · Empty classroom · Outdoors
How prepared do you feel for your exams this semester?
Rating 1–5
How often do you attend lectures in person?
Single choice
Options: Always · Most of the time · Sometimes · Rarely · Never
Which study method works best for you?
Single choice
Options: Re-reading notes · Flashcards · Past papers · Group study · Teaching others
What's the biggest obstacle to your studying right now?
Open text
How useful is your course's lecture-recording system?
Rating 1–5
Rate the quality of feedback you get on assignments.
Rating 1–5

Sleep, stress & wellbeing

Highest response rates on CampusVerify. Students self-select into these surveys quickly.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night?
Single choice
Options: <5 · 5–6 · 6–7 · 7–8 · 8+
How would you rate your stress levels this week?
Rating 1–5
How often do you exercise?
Single choice
Options: Daily · 3–5×/week · 1–2×/week · Rarely · Never
Do you feel your university provides enough mental health support?
Rating 1–5
Have you spoken to a counsellor or therapist in the last 12 months?
Single choice
Options: Yes · No · Prefer not to say
What's your biggest source of stress at university?
Single choice
Options: Exams/grades · Money · Relationships · Future career · Family · Other
If you could change one thing about student mental health support on your campus, what would it be?
Open text

AI & technology in coursework

Hot research area in 2026. Universities, ed-tech founders, and journalists all want this data.

How often do you use AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) for coursework?
Single choice
Options: Daily · Weekly · Occasionally · Rarely · Never
What do you most use AI for?
Single choice
Options: Brainstorming · Writing/editing · Coding · Summarising readings · Explaining concepts · Other
Does your university have a clear policy on AI use?
Single choice
Options: Yes, clear · Yes, but unclear · No policy · I don't know
Do you think using AI for coursework is cheating?
Rating 1–5
Has AI made you more or less confident in your writing?
Single choice
Options: Much more · Slightly more · No change · Slightly less · Much less
Describe one assignment where AI helped you most.
Open text

Money & part-time work

Important for fintech, government, and policy research. Always provide a 'Prefer not to say' option.

Do you currently have a part-time job?
Single choice
Options: Yes, on campus · Yes, off campus · Yes, freelance/online · No
How many hours a week do you work?
Single choice
Options: 0 · 1–10 · 10–20 · 20+
Roughly how much do you spend per week (excluding rent)?
Single choice
Options: <£50 · £50–100 · £100–200 · £200+ · Prefer not to say
How financially secure do you feel right now?
Rating 1–5
What's your biggest monthly expense besides rent?
Single choice
Options: Food · Transport · Going out · Subscriptions · Course materials · Other
Have you ever skipped a meal because of money?
Single choice
Options: Often · Sometimes · Rarely · Never

Career plans & life after graduation

Strong topic for grad-recruiter, alumni, and policy research.

How confident are you about your post-graduation plans?
Rating 1–5
What's your top priority in a first job?
Single choice
Options: Salary · Learning · Work-life balance · Mission/impact · Location · Prestige
Are you considering postgraduate study?
Single choice
Options: Yes — definitely · Maybe · No
How prepared do you feel for the job market?
Rating 1–5
What kind of company do you most want to work for?
Single choice
Options: Startup · Big tech · Consulting/finance · Public sector · NGO/nonprofit · Self-employed
What would help your university better prepare you for work?
Open text

Campus life, food & facilities

Useful for student-union research, on-campus businesses, and university operations.

How would you rate the food options on campus?
Rating 1–5
Where do you eat lunch most often?
Single choice
Options: Campus canteen · Café · Bring my own · Skip lunch · Off campus
How would you rate the library?
Rating 1–5
How would you rate your accommodation?
Rating 1–5
What's one thing your campus is missing?
Open text

How to get more responses

Be specific in the title. “Sleep habits of 2nd-year engineering students” outperforms “Student survey” by 5–10×.
Keep it under 10 questions. Completion rate roughly halves between 10 and 20 questions.
Target the right group. Use country, year, and interest filters so the survey only appears to people who can answer it well.
Offer a real incentive. On CampusVerify every answer earns the respondent credits they can spend on their own research — that's why response rates are dramatically higher than cold Google Forms links.

Publish your survey to verified students

Copy any of the questions above into CampusVerify and reach verified university students in minutes. Every respondent is .edu / .ac / .uni verified — no bots, no random Reddit traffic.

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FAQ

How many questions should a student survey have?

8–12 is the sweet spot. Under 5 feels thin; over 15 causes drop-off.

What are good topics for surveys for students?

Sleep & wellbeing, study habits, AI use in coursework, dating & social life, money & part-time work, campus food, mental health, career plans, and political attitudes consistently get the most responses on CampusVerify.

Can I use these questions for academic research?

Yes — every question above is suitable for a dissertation, thesis, or class project. Always check your university's ethics guidelines before publishing surveys that touch on sensitive topics like mental health.