Final-Year Students Commend Bath’s Learning Environment in NSS 2025

Bath Students Rate Teaching and Support Highly in National Survey

Student satisfaction surveys serve as vital instruments for evaluating the quality of higher education across the United Kingdom. Among these, the National Student Survey (NSS), commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS), stands out as a key measure of how final-year undergraduate students perceive their academic experience. The newly published results offer valuable insights into institutional performance and levels of student engagement.

This year’s NSS findings indicate that the University of Bath received highly positive feedback from its final-year undergraduate students, with a notable response rate of 75%. The University surpassed sector benchmarks in six out of the seven evaluated categories, reflecting a consistently strong student experience. In particular, areas such as teaching quality, learning resources, and academic support were especially well-regarded, underscoring the institution’s commitment to delivering high-quality education within a supportive learning environment.

Specifically, students rated the quality of teaching at 88.6%, exceeding the sector benchmark of 86.4%. Learning opportunities received a score of 84.3%, marginally above the benchmark of 83.6%, while academic support was rated at an impressive 90.8%, surpassing the sector average of 88.2%. Furthermore, organisation and management achieved a score of 85.8%, and learning resources were rated at 90.3%, both comfortably above their respective benchmarks. The “Student voice” category rose to 80.6%, marking a three-percentage-point increase from the previous year and outperforming the benchmark of 77.2%.

However, the only area where the University fell below the sector benchmark was “Assessment and feedback,” which received a score of 74.9% compared to the sector average of 77.4%. Despite this, the overall results demonstrate improvement in six of the seven categories when compared to the 2024 survey outcomes. The Office for Students employs benchmark scores to facilitate fair and meaningful comparisons across higher education providers, adjusting for variations in student demographics and course characteristics. This ensures that institutional performance is assessed within an equitable framework.

Commenting on the results, Professor Julian Chaudhuri, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education, expressed his satisfaction with the University’s performance. He emphasised that the consistent improvements across key themes reflect Bath’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the student experience. He also highlighted the rise in the “Student Voice” score as a clear indication of the University’s efforts to ensure students feel heard, valued, and supported throughout their academic journey. The NSS continues to serve as a crucial tool for capturing student feedback and informing institutional development across the higher education sector.

Editor’s Note:

The National Student Survey remains one of the most important measures of student satisfaction in UK higher education. This year’s results for the University of Bath reflect the continued efforts made by staff and leadership to provide a high-quality learning experience. The improvements seen across key areas, especially in teaching, academic support, and student voice, are encouraging and show a strong commitment to listening to students and acting on their feedback.

Skoobuzz believes that as the sector continues to evolve, it is essential that institutions remain focused on creating inclusive, well-managed, and resource-rich environments. The feedback shared by students in this survey offers valuable guidance for future planning and development.