2015 WUSCA

headline findings

#WUSCA

And the winners are…

#WUSCA

“Awesome faculty, great facilities, excellent campus and living conditions, great people”

“I've learnt so much about life and met so many great people”.

“Really interesting course. I loved it!”

“With its amazing history, its campus which is a fuse of the past with the future, its diverse and welcoming students”

“Facilities are amazing now the new building is complete”“..the course and the

staff are really good and enthusiastic about their chosen specialist subjects”

“amazing”

“very engaging”

“All of this allows you to figure out what you are good at.”

Whatuni asks for

opinion as well

as scores. Over

1,400,000 words

written by

students this

year

#WUSCA

The majority of

words written were

overwhelmingly

positive. Awesome

achievement in a

changing sector…

+ 8

45mHotcourses

websites insights

Other trends

Overall satisfaction

Job prospects

Course & lecturers

Student union

Accommodation

Uni facilities

City life

Clubs & societies

Student support

20k

+

Size

UK Region

International

J

We looked at what

students were

saying, added

some key trends

and what we knew

about

institutions/users

Are students more satisfied?

“My university experience

has been great. Societies

and sports are amazing

and academics are very

research focused, making

me feel prepared for jobs

in the future.”

Whatuni review, 2015

#WUSCA

3.98

4.15

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

2014 all 2015 all

Source: Average by University. WUSCAs 2015

Overall student

satisfaction is up!

Bangor University

Falmouth University

Harper Adams University

Loughborough University

New College of the Humanities

Swansea University

University of Bath

University of East Anglia

University of Glasgow

University of Surrey

3.98

4.15

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

2014 all 2015 all

Trend - It’s not an

isolated set of

institutions. The

shortlist above

shows a broad

range of potential

winners for Overall

Satisfaction.

Source: Average by University. WUSCAs 2015

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

2014 all

2015 all

Trend:

Satisfaction is up

across all categories

bar accommodation.

However, overall

satisfaction much

higher than others,

suggesting issues

remain…

Source: WUSCAs 2015

3.98

4.15

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

2014 all 2015 all

Trend:

This trend is

supported by the NSS

increases last year.

Whilst the WUSCAs

remain less overall

than them…

Source: NSS

So, why is satisfaction up?

#WUSCA

Is student

research

changing?

Source: Hotcourses Group Insights,. UK students only.

Email enquiries to

institutions show a

growing pattern of

earlier research.

2 years ahead - 9%

grows to 17% in Jan

Source: Hotcourses Group Insights,. UK students only.

64%

27%

6%3%

Whatuni enquiries Dec 2014

2015 2016 2017 2018

Source: Hotcourses Group Insights

+18%

Whatuni review

research has gone

up 18% year on

year (excluding

traffic variances)

Source: Hotcourses Group Insights

Whilst we’re seeing

open day views

doubling year on

year.

X2

Why is satisfaction up?

Are students researching more?

Are they making better choices?

Or have fees changed uni thinking?

Students being treated as

consumers?

The Russell Group

#WUSCA

How did

Russell

group

perform?3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Source: WUSCAs 2015

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

2015 Russell

2015 Non Russell

However,

satisfaction was not

across the board.

Some categories

are surprising…

Source: WUSCAs 2015

JK

Clubs

City life

Experience

EducationCourses & lecturers

Student support

Source: WUSCAs 2015Times Higher: NSS: non-Russell Group universities lead in satisfaction stakes

Source: WUSCAs 2015

Why no clearer distinction?

RG students higher expectations?

Do researchers make the best

tutors?

Does size matter?

#WUSCA

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Over 5000 students

Under 5000 students

Source: HESA / 1 year students - WUSCA 2015

Larger do better for

some but others

suggest smaller can

be advantageous…

What can

the big

learn from

the small?

What can I learn?

• Courses & lecturers

• Student support

• Job Prospects

• Clubs and societies

Source: WUSCAs 2015

“As a smaller university,

there is a much greater

connection between staff

and students, which helps

to create a better working

environment”

Prof. Foskett, Keele

How can I improve perception?

• Facilities

• City life

Is this perception? If so UK institutions are perfectly placed to utilise technology

to overcome this perception through

technology…

Source: Coming of Age on Screens Facebook IQ | SMRS Apr 2015

“I didn’t realise student support was such a huge part of university and it

helped me when I needed it … I wish this

had been better advertised at the time”

Student, SMRS

Source: Coming of Age on Screens Facebook IQ | SMRS Apr 2015

Your 6 month career health check is due!

Coping with size

Manage perception using tech

Is NSS perfect size between 8-12k?

#WUSCA

But what about the product?

Courses &

Lecturers

Source: WUSCAs 2015

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Only 2% range

across categories.

Can students

distinguish when it

comes to teaching?

How can they

compare?

Does the product matter?

Can students really compare?

Yes. It was 2nd answered question

#WUSCA

The most words were written about

it

#WUSCA

Are multicultural Unis better?

#WUSCA

Source: WUSCAs 2015

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

UK+EU

NonEU

What do

international

students think?

Across most

categories they

are happier

Source: Twitter 21st April 2015 UK Universities

While we’re on

the subject…

Source: HESA / WUSCAs 2015

4.12

3.96 3.95 3.96 3.95

3.79

3.71

3.68

3.54

4.19

3.994.01

3.99

3.93

3.86 3.87

3.67

3.57

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Less than 18% international

Over 18% International

Not only are

international

students happier

but all students at

‘international’ unis

are happier.

International = HappierNon EU students more satisfied

International Unis overall happier

Job prospects?

UK students – open or STEM?#WUSCA

#WUSCA

Source: WUSCAs 2015

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

England Wales Scotland

England +0.2

Wales +0.2

Scotland -0.1

Source: WUSCAs 2015

Hopes & fears?

What changes could we see?

What do Scottish Unis hope for?

Immigration targets & students?

#WUSCA

Accommodation

Source: Google images

“The kitchen next door

to mine has rats. One

of my friends has

insects living in her

drain that don’t die

after being bleached”

Whatuni review, 2015

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Source: WUSCAs 2015

Not only lowest

category

Only category to

drop

Why?

Shortlisted WUSCA 2015

Bangor University

Harper Adams University

Lancaster University

London South Bank

Loughborough University

Swansea University

University of East Anglia

University of Sunderland

University of Surrey

University of Warwick

Campus 15/20 – 3.66/3.58

International

Wales, Midlands, NI

London 3.27

Private provision

Source: WUSCAs 2015

Students are less satisfied

Source: Google images http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/1/prweb9117431.htm

Investment or expectation?

Private: Do Unis have quality

control?International: Best & the rest?

Facilities“Beautiful campus with

inspiring lecturers,

awesome library and

active student union.

Absolutely fantastic

Sports Park drawing

students to exercise

which in turn makes them

feel better and be more

productive with their

studies”

Whatuni review, 2015

#WUSCA | Pie News

Shortlisted WUSCA 2015

Facilities

Bangor University

Falmouth University

Glasgow School of Art

Harper Adams University

Loughborough University

Middlesex University

Swansea University

University of Edinburgh

University of Nottingham

University of Surrey

Winners

Wales & Midlands

Losers

London “need to generate the funds to

allow necessary investments

in infrastructure, the student

experience and academic

endeavours, and we need the

flexibility to react to

challenges that we are bound

to face in the next few years

and take advantage of new

opportunities.

Aberdeen Uni

Source: The Press and Journal

3.1 billion

Source: HESA | Quote: http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/

"We will keep investing on

behalf of our students and

academics, but the rest of

the world are snapping at

our heels and spending

money to match their

ambition. We must do the

same.“

Dr. Wendy Piatt

Sufficient investment?

International competition

Job prospects

Source: (and if you’ve time watch this) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fc83k

“My absolute worst

nightmare is getting to

the age of 40, on a

50k salary and driving

a four year old Toyota.

It’s just not going to

happen”

Young apprentice.

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

Trends

Source: WUSCAs 2015

Shortlisted WUSCA 2015 Job ProspectsHarper Adams UniversityImperial College LondonLondon School of Economics and Political ScienceLoughborough UniversitySt George's, University of LondonUniversity of BathUniversity of CambridgeUniversity of NottinghamUniversity of OxfordUniversity of Surrey

Source: HESA | WUSCAs 2015 | SMRS Expectations of university Apr 2015

“Reputation is a

game changer

for many”

SMRS Apr 2015

Source: WUSCAs 2015 / DLHE 6 month data

3.57

3.87

3.5

3.6

3.7

3.8

3.9

4

4.1

4.2

4.3

But the biggest

factor is the reality.

DLHE figures

suggest that unlike

courses, students

understand the real

picture.

Job prospects

Source: (and if you’ve time watch this) http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02fc83k

STEM based courses doing well

Students understand the reality

What can Uni’s change?

#WUSCA