Latest news: Students satisfied with courses

Approval of current university courses is high according to this year's National Student Survey (NSS), as higher education students rate their courses. 31/08/2011

The majority of students (83%) studying at Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and Further Education Colleges (FECs) said they were satisfied with their course.

A further 8% were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with their experience of higher education, and only 9% reported to be dissatisfied.

‘These excellent results yet again demonstrate that our universities and colleges provide a high-quality experience for their students. The results also provide crucial information for universities and colleges to help them improve the learning and teaching experiences of their students,’ said Sir Alan Langlands, chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).

The survey covered seven categories and in each of them satisfaction had either improved since 2010 or stayed the same, with 84% of students agreeing that the quality of teaching was good and 77% saying that the level of academic support was also high in quality.

'This survey shows that student satisfaction is high on average. No wonder record numbers of young people at home and abroad wish to study at our world-class universities. But clearly there are some areas, such as the quality of feedback, where many institutions could do better.

'Our higher education reforms aim to put students in the driving seat and to deliver a new focus on the quality of the student experience. We are committed to ensuring the best possible match between students and institutions,’ said David Willetts, minister for universities.