UK student satisfaction rises in annual national survey

Satisfaction among UK final-year students has increased across all survey themes in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS), with 86.9% in England giving positive responses to questions about “teaching on my course”, up from 85.3% in 2024.

More than 357,000 students took part in the annual survey, representing 71.5% of eligible students. The NSS collects feedback on academic support, teaching, assessment and the wider student experience. 

The findings aim to help prospective students make informed choices and assist universities and colleges in improving courses and services.

In England, 77.6% of students responded positively to questions about “the student voice”, compared with 74% last year. Positive responses to “organisation and management” rose to 78.5%, although some institutions performed below their benchmark scores on this measure.

The survey also highlighted disparities between groups, with disabled students consistently less positive than their non-disabled peers across all themes, particularly in “organisation and management”.

The results are broken down by characteristics such as disability, free school meal eligibility, age and ethnicity, allowing institutions to compare experiences across different student populations.

John Blake, director for fair access and participation at the Office for Students, said: “The NSS gives students the important opportunity to give feedback on their higher education experiences and helps future students take the next step in choosing the right course for them. I’d like to thank every final-year student who took the time to respond.

“I’m especially pleased to see students providing powerful feedback on their experience of teaching, a crucial part of their higher education experience. The NSS is also useful for identifying areas where there is room for improvement. In particular, this year’s results show that institutions across the sector could be doing more to ensure disabled students are getting the high quality higher education experience they are entitled to.”

He added: “We invite universities and colleges across England to draw on these insights as they consider how to continue to improve their courses. At the OfS, we’ll be using these findings to help us develop our understanding of what students want and need from higher education – and the extent to which they’re getting it.”