Nine out of 10 Sussex students are satisfied with their experience at the University, according to the results of the 2013 National Student Survey (NSS), released today (Tuesday 13 August). 

Of the 1,861 Sussex finalists who took part in the government’s annual poll of student opinion this spring, 89% said that overall they were satisfied with the quality of their course. 

This places Sussex equal 21^st in the UK for overall student satisfaction. 

They also gave a record satisfaction rating of 87% - up from 73% in 2011 - to the University’s learning resources, which include the Library and IT Services. Sussex is now in the top 30 in the UK for learning resources. 

Professor Clare Mackie, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), says: “It is very pleasing that Sussex students are continuing to enjoy their time with us and rate their university experience so highly. 

“The results suggest that our strategy of listening to students’ feedback and actively targeting improvements in specific areas of the student experience, such as the Library, IT and careers, is paying off.” 

Since 2011, the University has invested £1.3 million in new wi-fi for the campus and hundreds of new computers and has completed a £7.4 million refurbishment of the Library. 

Satisfaction with the Library is now at an all-time-high of 90%, up from 75% just two years ago. Satisfaction with IT Services has also soared since 2011, up from 72% to 87%. 

Although satisfaction with assessment and feedback remains at 64%, major changes have been made that should lead to an improvement in the future, according to Professor Mackie. 

She says: “Action to address this, including a restructuring of the academic year, which came into effect in 2012-13, will take some time to deliver results. This year’s finalists were also least affected by the wide-scale curriculum changes that we implemented in 2012-13.” 

There are strong performances in the NSS among individual subjects at Sussex. 

Physics and Astronomy (equal 1^st), Spanish (=2^nd), Anthropology (=3^rd), Chemistry (=5^th), German/Italian (=5^th), Law (=5^th), International Development (=9^th), and Philosophy (=9^th) were all rated in their respective top 10s in the UK. 

Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), run jointly by the universities of Sussex and Brighton, has a satisfaction rating of 95% and is one of the top-ranked higher education institutions listed in the survey.

The NSS covers final-year undergraduates at all higher education institutions in the UK and was completed this year by 74% of Sussex finalists. 

The 23 questions asked in the core survey cover teaching; assessment and feedback; academic support; organisation and management; learning resources; personal development; overall satisfaction; and the Students’ Union. 

More detailed results will be released by the polling organisation Ipsos-MORI on 29 August.