Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop and empirically test the student engagement scale and to understand the factors that contribute to student engagement at higher educational institutions. Design/methodology/approach: The investigation started with a rummage for variables, available in the literature, 59 in numbers, which were then used to collect data from a sample of university students in Lahore, Pakistan. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was applied to develop an initial structure of the construct. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then conducted to confirm the reliability and validity of these factors for the student engagement construct. Findings: It has been found that factors, predominantly social and exogenous to the classroom environment, such as campus atmosphere and facilities, are more responsible for creating engagement among students at higher educational institutions of Pakistan. Originality/value: This is one of the pioneer studies for developing a student engagement scale for measuring the students' engagement in higher educational institutions. The authors believe that the scale developed in this study contributes substantially to the student engagement literature. Limitations, future research directions and implications are discussed.