More than 84% of Bedfordshire’s 2014 graduates gave the University their seal of approval in this year’s National Student Survey (NSS), which asks final year undergraduates to provide honest feedback on what it has been like to study at their institution.

The figure is an increase of over 4% on last year’s result at Bedfordshire – and is twenty times the increase seen across the Higher Education sector as a whole, which rose by 0.2%.

Replies to every one of the 22 questions in the survey showed an improvement compared to 2013, with an average increase in the satisfaction level across all the questions of 5.4% – ranking Bedfordshire first in the country for improving the student experience in 2014.

Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell made enhancing students’ experience his top priority when he arrived at Bedfordshire two years ago, when the student satisfaction rate stood at 78%. Commenting on the results of this year’s survey he said:

“This year more students than ever at Bedfordshire took part in the survey, so the results are a true representation of the view of our students and their experience during their three years as part of our University community. We are delighted to be the top-ranking university in the country for improving the student experience in 2014.

“We are also proud that 92% of our students are in work or further study within six months of graduating, with one of the biggest increases in graduate level employment. These are key barometers of how well we are performing as an institution.”

In total, nine courses at the University of Bedfordshire received an ‘overall satisfaction’ rating of 100% and a further 19 received a score of 90% or above. The survey also shows that Bedfordshire is one of the leading universities in the country for improving the career prospects and choices of its students and for aiding students’ personal development, with ratings of 86%.

Additionally, Bedfordshire students rated the University very highly for its learning resources and for the assessment and feedback provided by its teaching staff, while the Bedfordshire Students’ Union was one of the highest ranked in the sector.

Publication of the survey results comes as the University is preparing for this year’s Clearing round, which opens on Thursday 14 August. Mr Rammell concluded:

“With Clearing starting later this week, young people will be thinking about their choice of university. Students who opt to join Bedfordshire can be assured we are wholly-committed to ensuring our students have the best possible experience, as members of our University community, and this is reflected in our high quality teaching, our outstanding facilities and the great student support we provide.

“We offer our students a life-changing experience that will inspire them to become employable and entrepreneurial global citizens.”

The NSS, which launched in 2005, is conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). The survey, which is completed anonymously by final year students, is designed to assess students' opinions of the quality of their degree programmes. In July, the Destination of Leavers of Higher Education (DLHE) survey found that 92% of Bedfordshire students who graduated last year have found jobs or are in further study – the highest figure achieved by the University.

Notes to Editors:

• Nine University of Bedfordshire courses saw 100 % of its students, who filled in the National Student Survey (NSS), say they were ‘overall satisfied’ with their studies at the institution. The courses were: Broadcast Journalism, Business Studies – Finance, International Finance, Travel & Tourism, Youth & Community Work, Disability Studies, Health & Social Care Studies, Operating Department Practice, English Language Studies with Teaching English as a Foreign Language.
• The University of Bedfordshire was ranked first for improving the student experience by the NSS. The increase of 5.4%, across all questions, is the highest amongst UK Higher Education Institutes, excluding small/specialist providers with less than 500 respondents.
• For further information about the NSS and the University of Bedfordshire please contact: press.office@beds.ac.uk; 01582 489399 or 0772 4241214 Follow us on Twitter: @uobnews