Welsh universities top UK rankings in student survey
WALES has outperformed the rest of the UK in this year’s National Student Survey (NSS) – an annual survey that gathers information from students about their time in higher education.
Not only did Welsh universities have the highest rates of overall student satisfaction (at 85% over a UK average of 83%), but they were also the only UK nation to have increased overall satisfaction levels.
Across the four nations, Wales was top in the scales for teaching, academic support, assessment feedback, students’ voice and student’s union, and bottom in none of the scales.
These results, published last month, come at an important time for students as many will be choosing where to study after receiving their A-level and Welsh Baccalaureate results today.
The high levels of student satisfaction are a testament to the hard work that Wales’ universities have put into delivering an outstanding student experience and is yet another example of how Wales’ offer sets it apart from other nations.
This distinctive “Welsh offer” is characterised by our universities’ commitment to students.
A recent report by the QAA – the UK body for safeguarding standards and checking that students get the higher education they are entitled to expect – analysed the findings of the quality and standards reviews carried out at Welsh universities over the past eight years and found that higher education in Wales demonstrated excellent practice that systematically and continually improved the student experience.
Reviewers found good practice in areas including the use of data to support improvements in learning and teaching and communicating with and engaging students in their learning.
The report also showed that employability is a particular strength in Welsh higher education. Recent figures confirm this and demonstrate how the distinctiveness of Wales’ offer does not end upon graduation. For example, a graduate from a Welsh university is more likely to be in work or further study six months after graduation than the average UK graduate.
Welsh universities also excel at encouraging entrepreneurship and supporting graduates to start their own businesses. In 2016/17, Wales had over 1,500 active graduate startups, which is 12.4% of all the UK’s graduate start-ups, and 2.5 times more than would be expected for Wales compared to the rest of the UK based on population size.
Furthermore, following the implementation of the Diamond Review in Wales, the new student finance system offered to Welsh domiciled students is now, as described by Welsh Government, “the most progressive and equitable in the UK and will provide a parity of support across levels and modes of study that is unmatched anywhere in the UK or the EU.”
Wales is clearly a destination of choice for applicants seeking a world-class higher education, especially as the innovative learning and teaching environment on offer to students is underpinned by excellent research, with our universities having the highest percentage of “world leading” research in terms of its impact of any part of the UK.
A degree at a Welsh university can provide many young people with the best possible start to a successful future and universities in Wales look forward to welcoming students to begin this exciting journey later this year.
For those who are still undecided about their options, or maybe did not get the grades they had hoped for today, universities in Wales are providing places through clearing and there are advisers available to discuss the most suitable options open to them.