By Vanessa Huang
The National Student Survey (NSS), conducted by the Office for Students, compiled responses from over 300,000 final year students across 528 higher education institutions in the UK this year to measure student satisfaction across different areas of the student experience.
In the 2023 results, LSE performed “materially above benchmark” in 5 questions, “broadly in line with benchmark” in 12 questions, and “materially below benchmark” in 10 questions.
The benchmark figures are tabulated using sector averages and adjusting for the demographics of each institution, including subject, level and mode of study, as well as age, ethnicity, disability, and sex. Satisfaction is measured by a ‘positivity score,’ or the percentage of respondents selecting ‘very good’ or ‘good’ on a four-point scale for each question.
High positivity scores were reported for the intellectual stimulation of courses at LSE, as well as the extent to which students felt challenged to achieve their best work. Positivity scores significantly below the benchmark were reported on assessment, specifically the fairness and clarity of marking criteria. Similarly low-scoring were LSE’s actions on student feedback, which received the lowest positivity score across all questions: 51.4%. Representation of students’ academic interests from the LSE Students’ Union was also rated poorly, at 65.7%, in comparison to the benchmark of 70.7%.
Unlike previous years, the 2023 survey omitted a question on overall course satisfaction for institutions in England. The proportion of students surveyed at LSE that were overall satisfied with their course was 78.8% in 2022, above the nationwide average of 76.3%. This was a marked improvement from 2017, when LSE ranked 145th out of 148 universities for student satisfaction.
Two new questions were introduced in the 2023 survey: students were asked to rate their satisfaction with freedom of expression and the communication of mental wellbeing services at their institutions, with LSE scoring broadly in line with benchmark and materially below benchmark respectively.
Professor Emma McCoy, LSE’s Vice President and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education, said, “This year’s NSS results show excellent performance in key areas such as teaching, academic support and learning resources, which is hugely encouraging. Improvements in these areas follow a sustained focus across the School on enhancing students’ educational and overall experiences.
“These results were also helpful in identifying areas where we can improve; for example, ensuring students feel listened to and are aware of the range of wellbeing and mental health services available to them.”
