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Students at the Bay Campus

Swansea University has been ranked sixth for overall student satisfaction in the 2020 National Student Survey (NSS).

Published today (15 July), the results reveal that 89 per cent of Swansea students say that they are satisfied with their course overall, compared to the national average of 83 per cent. This places Swansea sixth in the UK (based on a list of 131 institutions that appear in the Times Good University Guide) – up four places from 2019.

The NSS is a comprehensive UK-wide survey of students’ views carried out independently and anonymously by Ipsos-MORI. Students are asked their views on areas such as teaching, assessment and feedback, academic support, the organisation and management of their course, learning resources, the Student Voice and their Students’ Union. 

This year’s NSS was open to students from 6 January 2020 to 30 April 2020 – overlapping with the outbreak of coronavirus and the UK entering lockdown.

3,097 Swansea University students completed this year’s survey, representing 72 per cent of all those eligible at Swansea.

At subject level the University features in the top 10 for overall satisfaction in 24 of the 54 subjects it appears in.

Top 10 rankings in particular were achieved by:

Welsh Studies (1st), Bioengineering, Medical and Biomedical Engineering (2nd), Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2nd), Genetics (2nd), Children’s Nursing (4th), Healthcare Science (non-specific) (3rd), Iberian Studies (4th), Materials Technology (4th), Medical Technology (4th), Software Engineering (4th), American and Australasian Studies (5th), Biology (non-specific) (5th), Sociology (5th), Zoology (5th), Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering (6th), Classics (6th), Computer Science (6th), Economics (6th), Human Geography (6th), Media Studies (6th), Midwifery (7th), Archaeology (8th), German and Scandinavian Studies (8th), Law (10th).

Professor Martin Stringer, Pro-Vice Chancellor for education at Swansea University, said: “Students are at the heart of everything we do at Swansea University, and so I am delighted to see that this has been reflected in this year’s excellent NSS results.

“I would like to extend my thanks to everyone across the University and the Students’ Union who work tirelessly to ensure all our students get the very best out of their time here at Swansea. Our continued success in the NSS is testament to their dedication and commitment to improve the student experience, helping us to deliver top quality teaching, world-leading research, and an exceptional student experience.

“There is no doubt that the past few months have been a challenging time for our staff and students, and on behalf of the University, I would like to thank them all for their continued support.”

Ffion Davies, President at Swansea University Students’ Union, said: “The student experience is central to everything that we aim to achieve at Swansea University Students’ Union. We are run by students, for students, so are overjoyed to see that the hard work and constant communication showcases this in the results.

"Myself and the elected officer team are here to represent the entire student body alongside hundreds of dedicated academic student representatives who volunteer their time to ensure that students are supported and represented at both a subject and course level throughout their studies. We believe in the power of the student voice and always listen and promote it.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank all students and staff for their flexibility and adaptability during these unprecedented times.”

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