The AIChE National Student Design Competition is the oldest and most prestigious competition for undergraduates in AIChE. It has been offered annually since 1932. Problems are sought from industry, government, and academia. It is furnished to all student chapter advisors and department heads of departments of chemical engineering in the fall for use in the following spring competition or in design classes. For the national competition a set of rules is published with the problem. Of about 190 departments of chemical engineering in the U.S. about 30-50 departments submit entries to the competition. The problem is furnished by the Design Subcommittee, Student Chapters Committee, AIChE. This group works with sponsors from industry, government, and academia to provide the problem and to perform the grading at the national level. Each department is allowed to submit the two best individual and/or group solutions to the competition. A number of departments use the problem in their design classes and as a capstone design experience for their students. One approach to improving performance is to compare the national winning solution with the work done by students at a particular school. The first place winning solution is available through the national office once the grading of the problem is complete. A comparison can show the difference between what a given class of students is doing and what the national competition winner did. This allows a department to improve its desgn instruction in accord with ABET wishes.