Press release: University of Buckingham tops National Student Survey (NSS) for student satisfaction

11 August 2015

12 August 2015

The University of Buckingham has come top for student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS) in the UK for the 6th time since it started taking part a decade ago.

Britain’s first not-for-profit independent university, which celebrates its 40th birthday next year, beat Oxbridge and all the Russell Group universities with a score of 95%, nine points above the sector average.

In the 10 years that the University has been participating in the survey it has consistently been at or near the top for student satisfaction among non-specialist higher education institutions.

The NSS provides all final-year undergraduate students in UK higher education institutions and further education colleges with the opportunity to express their opinions on what they liked during their time at university.

Sir Anthony Seldon, the new Vice-Chancellor of The University of Buckingham, said: “We are delighted to be leading the National Student Survey once again for student satisfaction. Our high staff student ratio and open door policy results in students at The University of Buckingham getting all the help they need from tutors and enjoying the many benefits of small Oxbridge-style tutorial groups.

“In the ten years that The University of Buckingham has participated in the NSS we have consistently led the way and established ourselves as the place where students are the happiest. We are extremely lucky to have such wonderful students who are a pleasure to teach.

“As well as having the most satisfied students, The University of Buckingham also leads the way with graduate employability, with 98% finding jobs after they leave, according to the latest Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) figures. I am very honoured to be becoming VC of such a fine institution.”

Buckingham has also scored very highly in a number of other areas in the NSS – 96% of students said that they had been able to contact staff when they needed to, 95% of students said they were enthusiastic about what they were teaching, 92% said they had been able to access general IT resources when they needed to and 90% said staff had made the subject interesting.

The University is also ranked 2nd out of 126 universities for staff:student ratio – (Complete University Guide 2016), and ranked 7th in Psychology out of 112 universities (The Guardian University League Table 2016) and 7th in Politics out of 77 universities (The Guardian University League Table 2016). Figures verified by HESA reveal 98.1% of Buckingham graduates are employed within six months.


ENDS