St Andrews students the most satisfied in Scotland

The University of St Andrews is ranked top in Scotland and joint second in the UK in the 2011 National Student Survey published today (Wednesday 17 August 2011).

It is the sixth year in succession that St Andrews students have voted their university one of the best in the country in the independent poll. Since the survey’s inception in 2006, the University of St Andrews has performed strongly in the annual measure of how satisfied students are with the quality of their higher education experience.

This year’s results put St Andrews behind only Cambridge in the UK in terms of overall student satisfaction. With 93% of St Andrews students satisfied, the Fife university is placed jointly second with Oxford.

When the NSS results are aggregated across all 22 questions in the survey, St Andrews shares top place in Scotland with the University of Glasgow.

The survey compilers canvassed the opinions of around 265,000 final-year students at 115 multi-faculty Higher Education Institutions across the UK. Students were asked to respond to twenty one questions which covered topics such as teaching, personal development, assessment and feedback, learning resources and the management of their University in the survey.

St Andrews students came top in the UK in terms of satisfaction in course teaching and the organisation and management of their university, and third in academic support.

St Andrews Vice Principal Stephen Magee , said, “This is a welcome and continuing vote of confidence in the standing of Scottish higher education and the excellence of our teaching staff.

“Scottish universities have again performed strongly in this important barometer of the quality of our learning and teaching, at a time of greatly increased competition from English institutions.

“It is the sixth year in succession that St Andrews has featured at the top of the NSS and demonstrates our deep rooted commitment to academic excellence and meeting student expectations of a world class academic experience.”

The NSS also ranks individual departments and academic schools within universities. Amongst the happiest St Andrews students are those that study Theology and Iberian Studies (both ranked 100% satisfied), Physics & Astronomy (99%), Business Studies (97%), History and Mathematics and Statistics (both 96%) and Classics, English, French, Russian and Arabic (95%).

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Issued by the Press Office, University of St Andrews Contact Gayle Cook, Senior Communications Manager on 01334 467227, email [email protected] Ref: NSS_2011 160811