2026 Great Colleges to Work For Survey Opens March 16
Great Colleges to Work For (GCTWF) Survey Overview
The Great Colleges to Work For (GCTWF) survey is a national workplace recognition initiative that evaluates the employee experience at colleges and universities across the United States. The survey is administered by the research and consulting firm ModernThink and published in partnership with The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The survey provides participating institutions with insight into how faculty and staff perceive their workplace environment. It is widely regarded as one of the largest and most respected workplace recognition programs in higher education. Each year, nearly 200 colleges and universities participate in the survey.
For Baylor University, the results help Human Resources and institutional leaders better understand employee satisfaction, identify organizational strengths, and determine areas where the employee experience can be improved.
How the Survey Process Works
The Great Colleges to Work For survey includes two parts. First, the university completes an institutional questionnaire about workplace practices, benefits, and policies. Second, faculty and staff are invited to complete a confidential survey about their experiences working at the university. Responses are collected and analyzed by an independent research firm to ensure confidentiality and objectivity.
Survey Topics and Recognition
The survey asks employees to share their perspectives on important aspects of the workplace, including leadership, communication, job satisfaction, professional development, well-being, and compensation and benefits. Institutions that receive strong employee ratings in these areas may be recognized as a Great College to Work For. Universities that perform exceptionally well across multiple categories may also receive Honor Roll recognition, the program’s highest distinction.
Use of Survey Results
Survey findings provide universities with actionable insights about the employee experience. Institutions often use the results to guide improvements in workplace culture, policies, and employee programs.
Participation in the survey also allows institutions to benchmark their results against other colleges and universities nationwide, helping leaders understand how their workplace compares across the higher education sector.
Please encourage your team to complete this year’s survey, starting March 16 and ending March 27. Faculty and staff participation in this survey allows leadership to “lead with data” and create meaningful and positive impact across the University!
Click here to read more about the Great Colleges to Work For Survey.
