This study provides a framework for institutions of higher education to measure to what extent their emergency preparedness plans align with the National Response Framework (NRF). The author used alignment with the five principles of the NRF as a proxy to measure emergency preparedness at colleges and universities and to answer the following research questions. (1) To what extent do the emergency preparedness plans of colleges and universities align with the National Response Framework? (2) Does institution type play a role in alignment with the NRF? Participants were those responsible for emergency preparedness at colleges and universities in the United States. A survey was developed based on emergency preparedness guidelines written specifically for such institutions by FEMA (2003) and the DOE (2009). An emergency preparedness index (EPI) was created that aligned each of the 20 survey questions to one of the five NRF principles. This quantitative study measured alignment with the NRF and whether institution type played a role in alignment of the 138 respondent colleges and universities. The study found that while the EPIs of the colleges/universities that participated in this survey range from a minimum EPI of 3 to a maximum EPI of 39, out of a possible EPI of 40, the Mean for the 138 respondents was 27. The results of this study revealed that preparedness levels did vary by institution type. The numbers indicate that state institutions are leading in alignment with the NRF, and proprietary institutions are least likely to be aligned with the NRF. The data suggests that much more needs to be done to bring college and university emergency plans into alignment with the NRF. Steps colleges/universities can take to bring their institutions into alignment with the government guidelines include becoming familiar with the recommendations of the Department of Education and FEMA regarding campus emergency preparedness. As this study only surveyed 138 colleges and universities in the United States, the data is limited. Additional studies that include more institutions would contribute to validating the findings of this initial research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]