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NSCG Respondent FAQs

What is the NSCG?

The National Survey of College Graduates (NSCG) is a study by the National Science Foundation (NSF), an independent agency of the U.S. government. The U.S. Census Bureau collects and processes the survey data for NSF. The NSCG has been conducted since the early 1970s and is the most important source of information on the education and career paths of the Nation’s college-educated population.

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How is the information used?

The survey data provides important information about the education and career paths of the nation's college graduates. The data provides characteristics of the college-educated people in the workforce such as the sector they work in, whether they are working in their degree field, the type of occupations they hold, their salary, and their demographic composition. These data are needed to make informed decisions about how to best utilize the limited resources in the areas of research, education, and job training. The results of the survey are vital and are used by:

  • University administrators and academic researchers to make educational policy decisions.
  • Government policy makers and labor economists to better understand the supply and demand of workers in science and technical fields.
  • Employers in all sectors, such as education, industry, and the  government, to look at the salary trends.
  • Students in choosing a college major or examining career choices.
  • People who are considering career changes. 

 

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What authority do you have to collect this data? How will you keep my information confidential?

The NSCG is collected under the authority of the NSF Act of 1950 as amended, and the U.S. Census Bureau is conducting this survey under the authority of Title 13, Section 8 of the United States Code.  The Census Bureau is required by law to keep your information confidential and can use your responses for statistical purposes only. Response to the survey is voluntary and failure to provide some or all of the requested information will not in any way adversely affect the respondent.

To ensure the privacy and confidentiality of all participants are protected, the survey will be conducted over a secure connection (https) and unique credentials (usernames and passwords) are provided to each respondent. Participants may have the opportunity to access the survey through a QR code, which leads to the same webpage (and secure connection) as a traditional URL. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data. Only project staff will have access to individual-level data and all project staff will sign affidavits of nondisclosure. All personally identifying information (PII) collected during the study will be removed from the analytic data files. For more information on the Census Bureau’s Data Protection and Privacy principles, please see our data protection website at //www.census.gov/privacy/.

 

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Why don’t you select someone else? Do I have to participate?

Individuals are randomly chosen to represent hundreds of others in the same field. Once a person has been selected for the sample, we cannot substitute another person because it would harm the quality of the sample data we collect. If we don't obtain responses from the people selected, the study could produce biased results. Your response is voluntary. Please keep in mind that you do not have to answer all of the questions. 

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How long will this survey take?

The amount of time it takes for any one person to complete the questionnaire differs and depends on individual circumstances or responses to the questions. Based on pretests, the average time to complete the questionnaire is about 25 minutes. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspects of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the National Science Foundation, 2415 Eisenhower Ave, Alexandria, VA 22314, Attn: NSF Reports Clearance Officer.

 

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Does this survey have a valid OMB approval number?

Under Code of Federal Regulations, Title 5, 1320.5(b), an agency cannot conduct, sponsor, or require a response to a collection of information unless the collection displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval number. The OMB approval number for this survey is 3145-0141 and the expiration date is April 30, 2025.

 

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Who is included in this survey?

About 166,000 college graduates with at least a bachelor’s degree are included in the survey.

 

 

 

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Why me? I don’t work in a science field and I don’t have a science degree.

The National Science Foundation and NSCG data users are interested in the career pathways of all college-educated individuals regardless of their degree field or occupation. Please be assured that your information will be valuable for the survey.

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Page Last Revised - May 31, 2023
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