University of Stirling in UK top 20 for student satisfaction

The University of Stirling has ranked top 20 in the UK for overall student satisfaction in the latest National Student Survey (NSS).

Stirling recorded 86.8 percent overall satisfaction in the influential survey – an increase of 3.9 percent on last year and higher than both the UK (82.7%) and Scottish sector average (85.1%).

Professor Leigh Sparks, Deputy Principal (Education and Students), said: “I am delighted that the latest NSS results confirm high levels of student satisfaction at Stirling – cementing the University’s position among the UK’s top 20. These results reflect the hard work by both staff and students to create an excellent student experience, within a welcoming and supporting learning environment, that provides students with knowledge and opportunities to help them grow and succeed.

“It is especially pleasing to see improvements in all eight categories of the survey, demonstrating the University’s commitment to continuous improvement across all aspects of student life. We will continue to enhance the offering at Stirling – illustrated by the multi-million-pound Sports Centre and Campus Central developments, set to complete in the not-so-distant future – to ensure our students continue to enjoy the best possible experience for years, if not decades, to come.”

Professor Leigh Sparks, Deputy Principal (Education and Students) welcomed the NSS results.

Commissioned by the Office for Students, the NSS is a high-profile, independent annual survey of nearly half a million final year students across the UK. It poses 27 questions, across eight topics, to gather opinions from students about their overall time in higher education, asking them to provide honest feedback on what it has been like to study at their university or college.

The survey helps institutions improve their offering, while providing an influential source of public information about higher education for current and prospective students.

In the latest survey, excluding colleges, Stirling ranks 18^th in the UK and 6^th in Scotland for overall satisfaction. Stirling scored highly in all areas: teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, academic support, organisation and management, learning resources, the learning community, and the student voice. The biggest gains were reported in student voice, academic support and organisation and management, reflecting the student focus inherent to Stirling.

Significantly, the results reflect further progress towards the University’s strategic objective to be ranked as one of the top 25 universities in the UK – a goal which includes a focus on increasing student satisfaction and improvements in the NSS ranking.