November 2008
Wales top for student satisfaction
For the second year running Wales has received exceptional results in student satisfaction polls with Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff University, Swansea University and Trinity College Carmarthen all scoring in the top 20% of the UK in the National Student Satisfaction Survey. The Welsh average score of 83% was higher than the UK average of 82% and all welsh institutions either maintained or improved their scores.
At Aberystwyth University overall satisfaction was the highest in Wales with students awarding a 90%. In addition many of the subjects taught at Aberystwyth were rated top in the UK including Sports Science, Agriculture, Physical Geography & Environmental Science, Human & Social Geography and Zoology.
The National Student Satisfaction Survey is an annual review of what final year undergraduate students think about their courses. The survey takes into account several different factors, including teaching quality, academic support, management, resources, and personal development.
Other successes in 2008 were Swansea University who maintained the ranking of second in Wales for overall satisfaction and recorded improvements in all of the categories. Bangor University's satisfied students have placed the University in 11th position in the UK. Bangor's overall satisfaction rating was 86%- which was the 11th highest score, in this year's table. University of Wales Lampeter was also graded above the average in Wales in four out of six categories. The School of Education at Swansea Metropolitan came top, for the second year running, in the UK with a 96% rating for its teacher training programmes.
Earlier this year the University of Wales Newport came first in Wales in an independent survey of international student satisfaction. The International Student Barometer (ISB) measures the learning, living, support and arrival experience of international students and compares it to those of other universities throughout the UK.
Newport was 13th out of a total of 84 universities in the survey which was carried out last autumn and involved over 67,000 international students throughout the UK.