Essex ranked in top 30 for student positivity

The University of Essex has been ranked among England's top 30 universities for overall student positivity in the National Student Survey (NSS).

Essex placed 28th among English broad-discipline universities and second in the East of England, with an overall positivity score of 86.4% – up 1.4 percentage points on last year.

A total of 12 subjects were also in the top 10 for student positivity including artificial intelligence, biosciences, dental nursing and drama.

The Students' Union also earned a place in the national top 20 thanks to feedback from students, for the way it represents students' academic interests.

The National Student Survey asks final-year students about their experience of university, with overall positivity measuring the proportion selecting the most positive responses across all categories.

Strong NSS results across the student experience

Student positivity scores at Essex increased across all eight themes covered by the NSS.

Essex ranked 18th in England for academic support and was also placed in the top 25 nationally for learning opportunities, organisation and management, and learning resources.

The University was also ranked:

• 6th for how good teaching staff are at explaining things
• 12th for how well IT resources and facilities supported learning
• 14th for how well courses introduced subjects and skills

The results mean Essex is ranked second for overall student positivity among broad-discipline universities in the East of England.

Fantastic feedback on academic support

Vice-Chancellor Professor Frances Bowen said: "We are delighted that students were particularly positive about the academic support we provide, and I am so grateful to the academics and professional staff who make a difference to our students every day.

"We aim to help our students to develop the skills they need for the careers they aspire to and to nurture the confidence to question, to challenge and create new knowledge.

"Our staff do an incredible job of delivering courses inspired by research and innovation, and supporting our commitment to using education to drive positive change.

“We'll use all the feedback from the National Student Survey to listen to students and step up to deliver for them."

Students' Union performance stays strong

VP Education at the University of Essex Students' Union, Chloe Jeffery, said: "I'm thrilled that the SU has achieved another fantastic result in this year's National Student Survey. It reflects the work we've done to represent students' academic interests and ensure their voices lead to meaningful change.

"This achievement wouldn't have been possible without the dedication of our Education team, our incredible Student Reps, and every student who has trusted us with their feedback throughout the year.

"It's been a privilege to take the issues that matter most to students and turn them into real improvements to their university experience. Seeing students recognise and value that work makes this result even more meaningful."

Outstanding department performances

Departments with particularly strong performances for 'teaching on my course' included:

• East 15 Acting School (96.3%)
• Edge Hotel School (96.4%)
• School of Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (93.5%)
• School of Health and Social Care (92.1%)
• School of Life Sciences (90%)
• School of Sport, Rehabilitation and Exercise Sciences (91.9%)
• Department of Language and Linguistics (90.6%)

Edge Hotel School also achieved a 99% positivity score for both learning opportunities and assessment and feedback.

Highly ranked subjects

Many Essex subjects ranked in the national top 25 for overall positivity, including:

• Developmental Psychology – 1st
• Liberal Arts – 1st
• Counselling, Psychotherapy and Occupational Therapy – 2nd
• Dental Nursing – 2nd
• Statistics – 2nd
• Tourism, Transport and Travel – 3rd
• History of Art, Architecture and Design – 4th
• Biosciences – 5th
• Engineering – 8th
• Artificial Intelligence – 9th
• Ecology and Environmental Biology – 9th
• Drama – 10th
• Adult Nursing – 11th
• Applied Psychology – 11th
• Cinematics and Photography – 11th
• Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry – 11th
• Biology – 12th
• Education – 12th
• Mathematics – 13th
• Mental Health Nursing – 15th
• Electrical and Electronic Engineering – 17th
• Marketing – 19th
• Politics – 20th
• Media Studies – 21st
• Social Work – 21st
• Computer Science – 25th

Notes

This article refers to English broad-discipline higher education institutions as defined by the Cluster Analysis of Higher Education Institutions for Research England (2018, updated 2022).

The East of England includes Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Full NSS results are available at: www.officeforstudents.org.uk/data-and-analysis/national-student-survey-data/provider-level-dashboard/