THE Student Experience Survey 2016 results

The best universities in the UK for student experience have been revealed, according to a Times Higher Education survey of current students.

March 17 2016
By Carly Minsky
Faces/emotions, Student Experience Survey 2016 results

Claim a free copy of the full data set in the Student Experience Survey 2016 digital supplement

The best universities in the UK for student experience have been revealed, according to a Times Higher Education survey of current students.

Loughborough University in the East Midlands tops the list, up one place from second position last year.

Harper Adams University, specialising in agricultural subjects, enters the ranking for the first time, in second place. Keele University is also new to the top 10.

- See the best UK universities in the THE World University Rankings

More than 15,000 full-time undergraduates were asked how strongly they agreed that their university offered 21 different provisions, including “high quality staff/lectures”, “good extracurricular activities” and “good support and welfare”.

The most improved institution this year is Southampton Solent University, which climbed 36 places from last year to reach joint 54th position.

At the bottom of the table, London universities occupy 12 of the last 20 places, largely due to low scores for accommodation and community feeling on campus.

All eligible universities with more than 50 student respondents are included in the rankings tables below.

- Student Experience Survey 2016 methodology: what do students care about?
- Read comments from students at the best and most improved universities
- View the best UK universities for the student experience by region
- Students get serious about study
- Universities that get it right: working together to create the vibe
- A rankings surge in the city by the sea
- Sixth sense – or how to choose the best course
- Creating the new professionals: improving students’ employability
- Winning combinations: world-class sport and fitness facilities
- Capital loss: why do London’s universities cluster towards the bottom of the table?
- Browse the results of the last year's Student Experience Survey

Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2016 results

Click each institution to view its rank and results in the World University Rankings 2015-2016. The best performers by individual attributes are shown below the main results table.

Rank University name Overall score
1 Loughborough University 86.2
2 Harper Adams University 85.8
3 University of Sheffield 85.0
4 University of Oxford 84.8
5 University of Bath 84.4
6 University of Leeds 83.4
=7 University of East Anglia (UEA) 83.0
=7 Newcastle University 83.0
9 University of Cambridge 82.4
10 Keele University 82.1
11 Falmouth University 82.0
=12 Queen's University Belfast 81.7
=12 Cardiff University 81.7
=14 University of St Andrews 81.6
=14 Bangor University 81.6
=14 University of Exeter 81.6
17 Nottingham Trent University 81.4
=18 Northumbria University 81.2
=18 University of Nottingham 81.2
20 University of Reading 81.0
=21 University of Dundee 80.8
=21 University of Birmingham 80.8
=23 Edge Hill University 80.4
=23 University of York 80.4
25 University of Chichester 80.3
=26 Royal Veterinary College 80.2
=26 University of Surrey 80.2
28 University of Southampton 80.1
29 University of Chester 80.0
30 Durham University 79.7
31 Lancaster University 79.6
32 Aston University 79.5
=33 Swansea University 79.4
=33 University of Lincoln 79.4
=35 Coventry University 79.3
=35 University of Warwick 79.3
37 University of Winchester 79.1
=38 Robert Gordon University 79.0
=38 University of Sussex 79.0
=38 University of Manchester 79.0
=41 University of Edinburgh 78.9
=41 University of Glasgow 78.9
=43 Teesside University 78.8
=43 University of Leicester 78.8
45 University of Strathclyde 78.5
46 Sheffield Hallam University 78.4
=47 Canterbury Christ Church University 78.3
=47 University of Derby 78.3
=47 University of Bristol 78.3
50 De Montfort University 78.1
=51 St Mary's University College, Twickenham 78.0
=51 Heriot-Watt University 78.0
=51 Plymouth University 78.0
=54 Southampton Solent University 77.4
=54 Imperial College London 77.4
=56 University of St Mark and St John 77.3
=56 Oxford Brookes University 77.3
58 University of Stirling 77.2
=59 University of Central Lancashire 77.1
=59 Manchester Metropolitan University 77.1
61 Royal Holloway, University of London 77.0
=62 York St John University 76.9
=62 University of Gloucestershire 76.9
=62 University of Portsmouth 76.9
=65 University of Worcester 76.8
=65 University of Essex 76.8
=67 Glasgow Caledonian University 76.6
=67 Aberystwyth University 76.6
69 University of Liverpool 76.5
=70 Liverpool John Moores University 76.4
=70 University of Huddersfield 76.4
72 University of Kent 76.2
73 Leeds Beckett University 76.1
=74 University of Hull 76.0
=74 University of Hertfordshire 76.0
=76 Bournemouth University 75.8
=76 University of Aberdeen 75.8
=78 Staffordshire University 75.7
=78 Brunel University 75.7
=78 Queen Mary University of London 75.7
81 University of the West of England (UWE) 75.6
82 Bath Spa University 75.5
83 St George's, University of London 75.4
84 University College London (UCL) 75.2
85 University of Wolverhampton 75.1
86 University of Salford 74.8
=87 Abertay University 74.7
=87 University of South Wales 74.7
89 University of the West of Scotland 74.3
=90 University of Cumbria 74.1
=90 Roehampton University 74.1
92 Bucks New University 74.0
93 University of Wales Trinity Saint David 73.3
94 Cardiff Metropolitan University 73.2
95 University Campus Suffolk 72.9
96 Edinburgh Napier University 72.8
97 King's College London 72.7
98 Ulster University 72.6
99 Birmingham City University 72.5
100 University of Sunderland 72.4
101 Middlesex University 72.2
102 University of Brighton 72.1
103 Anglia Ruskin University 71.8
104 University of Bradford 71.7
105 London South Bank University 71.5
106 Goldsmiths, University of London 71.4
107 City University London 71.1
108 Kingston University 70.8
109 University of Northampton 70.3
110 London School of Economics and Political Science 70.0
111 University of Greenwich 69.9
112 University of Bedfordshire 69.7
113 University of East London 69.2
114 University of Westminster 68.6
115 University of the Arts London 68.1
116 University of West London 67.5
117 London Metropolitan University 64.4

Top universities in the ‘high quality staff/lectures’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
University of Oxford 1 4
Royal Veterinary College =2 26
University of Cambridge =2 9
University of St Andrews =3 14
Harper Adams University =3 2

Top universities in the ‘helpful/interested staff’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
University of Oxford =1 4
University of Cambridge =1 9
Royal Veterinary College 3 26
Harper Adams University 4 2
Bangor University =5 14
Keele University =5 10
Falmouth University =5 11

Top universities in the ‘well structured courses’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
University of Cambridge 1 9
Loughborough University =2 1
Harper Adams University =2 2
University of Oxford =2 4
University of Bath =2 5

Top universities in the ‘good social life’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
University of Leeds =1 6
Newcastle University =1 7
University of Sheffield =1 3
Cardiff University =1 12
Loughborough University =5 1
Harper Adams University =5 2

Top universities in the ‘good community atmosphere’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
University of Sheffield =1 3
Harper Adams University =1 2
University of Oxford =1 4
University of East Anglia (UEA) =2 7
University of Bath =2 5
Keele University =2 10
University of St Andrews =2 14
Newcastle University =2 7

Top universities in the ‘good extracurricular activities/societies’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
University of Cambridge =1 9
Loughborough University =1 1
University of Oxford =2 4
University of Sheffield =2 3
University of Leeds =2 6

Top universities in the ‘good environment on campus/around university’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
Falmouth University =1 11
University of East Anglia (UEA) =1 7
Edge Hill University =2 23
University of Nottingham =2 18
Loughborough University =2 1
Harper Adams University =2 2
Keele University =2 10
University of Stirling =2 58
University of Reading =2 20
University of Sheffield =2 3
University of Leeds =2 6

Top universities in the ‘high quality facilities’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
Loughborough University 1 1
Royal Veterinary College 2 26
University of Oxford =3 4
University of Sheffield =3 3
University of Exeter =3 14
Robert Gordon University =3 38
Edge Hill University =3 23

Top universities in the ‘personal requirements catered for’ measure

University Rank by attribute Overall rank
Harper Adams University =1 2
University of Oxford =1 4
Loughborough University =1 1
University of Bath =2 5
University of Cambridge =2 9

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