OU first for Assessment and Feedback -

National Student Survey results

Posted on: 02 October, 2019

The results of the annual National Student Survey (NSS) have been published with The Open University ranked first for Assessment and Feedback with a score of 85%.

Overall satisfaction has stayed at its strong score of 87%, keeping the OU in the top 20 of all UK universities, with a ranking of 17th amongst 139 participating universities (going up three places since 2018). There are 11 other universities that share this place this year alongside the OU. This score places the OU three percentage points above the average for the sector (84%) and just 3% below the average for the top quartile for overall satisfaction (90%).

I am proud of the way we are working hard across the University to make a positive difference for our students. We will continue to work closely with our students to act on what they have told us; and we will build on the good work so far to help further improve the overall experience for our current and future learners.

I am pleased that by matching last year’s NSS result for student satisfaction and remaining in the top 20 universities we have achieved two of our key success measures for 2019.

Away from the headlines, some of the individual questions such as My course has provided me with opportunities to apply what I have learnt (79%), and The IT resources and facilities provided have supported my learning well (84%), both up 1% point since 2018.

Buoyant performance across the nations

The Open University is the only institution included in the survey to operate across all UK nations. The performance in the nations is extremely buoyant.

Northern Ireland retained 1st position amongst five participating higher education institutions. With an overall satisfaction ranking of 92% for Northern Ireland (unchanged).

Scotland was ranked 2nd of 19 participating universities. Overall satisfaction ranking of 90% (unchanged).

OU in Wales - Students in Wales have ranked The Open University as one of the top two institution in Wales for overall student satisfaction, behind Aberystwyth University. The overall satisfaction ranking of 89% for Wales (up 1 percentage point).

We’re so pleased to see such a strong endorsement of our university from the people who matter most – our students. It’s been a busy 12 months for us. As well as celebrating our 50th anniversary, we’ve also had the welcome challenge of responding to a massive swell in interest in our courses. Our staff provide first-class support and teaching to our students throughout their studies, and we’re really looking forward to working with even more students in the future.

Listening to student voice and using it to improve the student experience is important to The Open University. The National Student Survey is just one of the ways to share your feedback with us. To find out more about the different ways you can get involved visit our How We Listen pages.