Edge Hill bucks the trend

Edge Hill University is celebrating another strong showing in the 2009 National Student Survey with an overall satisfaction rating from students of 83%, placing Edge Hill second in the North West.

Nationally, student satisfaction is lower compared to figures released last year, but Edge Hill is bucking the trend.

On a scale, that rates one as the lowest and five as the highest score, the 1277 Edge Hill graduates who took part gave an overall satisfaction rating of 4.08, up slightly on last year's score.

Edge Hill retains the top-slot in the Personal Development of Students category with a score of 4.25 - continuing the pattern that has seen the University top the table every year since the Survey began. The score gives Edge Hill every chance of repeating its top four performance when the national data is published at the end of September.

Edge Hill's £105m investment in recent years has lead to the University attaining high satisfaction rates in The Teaching on My Course and the Learning Resources categories.

Edge Hill's Vice-Chancellor, Dr. John Cater, expressed his delight at these figures. "The opinions of our students, who are our key stakeholders, is of the greatest importance to us, and it is great news that this year's graduates rate their experience even higher than their predecessors.

"The rankings for Nursing - where we were the UK's top-rated provider of practice-based learning last year - Geography, Law, Education, Performing and Creative Arts, English, Sports Science and History are particularly pleasing, as are the 'Overall Satisfaction' scores, and I look forward to the University continuing this excellent trend in the coming year."

Responding to the publication of the results of this year's National Student Survey, Diana Warwick, Chief Executive, Universities UK, said: "We're pleased that so many students continue to rate their higher education experience so highly. It is particularly reassuring that, at a time of economic uncertainty when students may be understandably anxious about their job prospects, nevertheless the overall satisfaction rate remains over 80%. This figure seems certain to cement the University's place in the top echelons for student experience once again.

"We are delighted that students are responding to the survey in ever increasing numbers. The NSS is an extremely valuable source of information for universities in their continuing commitment to improving the student experience. Universities will be looking closely at the detail of this year's survey, taking action and making improvements in response to what their students are telling them. Student feedback and input is vital and UUK is pleased to mirror the work in institutions at a national level working closely with the NUS."