Times Higher Education has published the results of their 2017 Student Experience Survey (SES). The survey is conducted by YouthSight and is now celebrating its tenth annual release.
The results are based on the responses of over fifteen thousand undergraduates who were asked questions surrounding eight areas, presented below in the table. This year students were also asked whether they would recommend their university to a friend, a question of obvious importance as friend recommendation ranks high as an influencing factor in decision-making.
Source: THE, 2017
Measures are weighted differently, varying between 1, 1.5 and 2.
Source: THE, 2017
The results shown in the SES 2017 were collected between October 2015 and June 2016. The overall results position Harper Adams University in lead, taking Loughborough University’s first place position from last year, which moved down to second. The University of Sheffield retained its position as third, while the University of Oxford dropped three points from third to seventh from last year.
The usual league table winners, ie the University of Oxford, and the University of Cambridge, rank in position 7 and position 29 respectively.
The analysis also explores results in more detail, looking at the 8 measures independently.
Bournemouth University was ranked in the 50s, securing 56th position above Russell Group universities the Imperial College London and University of Edinburgh.
Student experience will gain increasing importance with the upcoming HE and Research Bill. The TEF will draw from a range of metrics aimed at assessing teaching excellence while placing students at the heart of the bill. Undoubtedly, we will be seeing shifts in the UK HE landscape
Source: TEF, 2016