Understanding the student interest

We committed to putting the interests of students at the heart of our next strategy. To support this, we ran a programme of polling and focus groups to help us understand what students want and need from their higher education – and the extent to which they are getting it.

The diversity of higher education students brings a diversity of views about their interests. This research, therefore, should not be taken as a comprehensive summary of what all students think. Nor does it represent the conclusion of our work to understand the interests of students, which is ongoing and will be critical to the successful delivery of our strategy.

It does, however, offer a snapshot of what we heard and reflected on as we developed our strategy proposals. Strategy engagement sessions and discussions with students during our visits to providers were further sources of insight. We are grateful to those who shared their views.

The interests of students are not fixed, and we would expect the nature of students’ concerns and priorities to evolve as the world around us changes. The research reflected here, however, highlights the essential building blocks of positive higher education experiences, strengthening our ability to regulate in the interests of students effectively.

Students told us:

• They want a high quality education that enables them to acquire knowledge and develop skills that help them secure good jobs.
• They expect their institutions to treat them fairly and to deliver what they promised.
• They want tailored learning experiences and access to academic resources and support, delivered in supportive and enriching environments that meet their personal as well as their academic needs.

These webpages share the outcomes of this work in greater detail.  

Research methods

We worked iteratively to understand 'what regulating in the student interest' means in practice through a series of polls and focus groups. We:

• Conducted polling with Savanta, reaching 1,761 students – undergraduates (786), postgraduates (539), graduates (436).
• Hosted two text-based online focus groups with YouGov.
• Conducted an online survey with prospective students (250), current students (250) and postgraduates (250) with YouGov.
• Hosted an online focus group with students from small and specialist universities and colleges, organised with the support of GuildHE.
• Consulted the OfS student panel.

Four research themes emerged from this work, which we explore in more detail below:

1. Students’ experiences and expectations of higher education.
2. Students as ‘consumers’ of and ‘investors’ in their education.
3. Students’ short- and long-term interests.
4. The relationship between the student interest and the public interest.

Under each theme we summarise our findings and share relevant material from polling and focus groups.