University climbs student satisfaction rankings

The University of Exeter has climbed places to 11th in the National Student Survey rankings of student experience.

The University has been rated best in the South West, and has also retained second place within the 24 members of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive institutions, based on an average across all question category scores.

The overall score at Exeter was 85.9 per cent, reflecting the outstanding student experience offered at one of the world’s top 100 universities.

The ranking of 11th is based on the University of Exeter’s own analysis of the NSS data, which uses the scores from all seven categories of questions answered by students on overall satisfaction.

The University is also ranked equal 9th out of full service universities in the Times Higher Education’s own rankings of the NSS student satisfaction results, This ranking is based on the question answered by students.

Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, said: “I’m delighted to see that Exeter has gained ground in this very competitive ranking. While we consistently rank highly, other universities are working hard to make gains, creating a lot of movement within these tables.

“At Exeter, we pride ourselves on our commitment to an all-round outstanding experience, and this result is testimony to our dedicated and committed staff. We continuously listen to feedback from our students, and it’s great to see that the action we are taking is reflected in these results.”

This year, 13 subjects at Exeter ranked in the top ten for overall satisfaction, compared to nine last year, based on overall category averages

The University of Exeter Medical School saw two subjects re-enter the top 10, with Medicine climbing one place to number 10 and Medical Imaging climbing nine places to number four.

Sports Sciences once again made the UK top ten. Its previous high student satisfaction levels combined with world-class research and excellent performance on the field contributed to securing the Times and Sunday Times Sports University of the Year 2016 award for the University,

Cinematics and Photography saw the biggest improvement in this area, with an increase of 13 percentage points on last year’s score, climbing 26 places from 29th last year to 3rd this year.

African and Modern Middle Eastern Studies also performed well, with an increase of 12.6 percentage points on last year’s score, while Human and Social Geography increased 24 places in rank from 28th last year to 4th this year.

The result comes as the University continues to invest in facilities, teaching and support, as well as world-leading academic staff for both education and research. In the last few years, Exeter has invested £145 million in learning spaces, research facilities, a students’ services centre and refurbished library facilities - with a further £128 million committed to projects focusing on high performance computing, enhanced childcare facilities and technology-rich learning spaces.

This year, the University donated £1 to charity for each NSS survey completed. As a result, £3,154 was shared between the Students Guild’s RAG and Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union (FXU) RAD.

Toby Gladwin, President of the University of Exeter Students’ Guild, said: “It is great to see that Exeter students are some of the most satisfied in the country.

“It is great that both the Student’s Guild and the University have seen positive increases in their scores this year, but there is also plenty of feedback for us to consider how best to further improve the student experience at Exeter. We will be working hard with the University to make further improvements ready for next year’s NSS.”

Tom Murray-Richards, Exeter President of Falmouth and Exeter Students’ Union (FXU), said: “I am delighted to see that Exeter has seen a rise in their National Student Survey (NSS) rankings this year. To see a marked improvement is definitely a result of FXU working in partnership with the University to swiftly respond to student concerns and further improve the experience and satisfaction of students.

“For FXU, the NSS is both an important indicator of the University’s performance, and allows students’ voices to be heard at the very highest levels of the University. We recognise the importance of these results and by consulting students the University will further improve the student experience. This is a fantastic time to be a student at Exeter, and working to maintain and improve your experience is crucial to the growing partnership between the University and FXU.”