Understanding the student interest

Students’ expectations and experiences of higher education

Polling data

YouGov polling found that:

• Overall, perceptions of university are positive among current students (both undergraduate and postgraduate) and graduates.
• 79 per cent of undergraduates felt university had either met or exceeded their expectations.
• Most undergraduate students felt confident they will have credible qualifications (91 per cent) and knowledge of their subject area (90 per cent) on completion of their course.
• Most postgraduates felt confident that they will have credible qualifications (90 per cent) and knowledge of their subject area (90 per cent) on completion of their course.
• Whilst most students felt confident about their future prospects, one in three (30 per cent) were not confident their degree would lead to a job with a higher salary compared to if they had not finished a university course.
• Just over 60 per cent of all students told us they believed they would get value for money from their degree.
• Students told us that the biggest influences on success are academic support (54 per cent), a high quality curriculum and teaching (48 per cent) and financial support (40 per cent). 
• Female students were more likely to say both that financial support was important (49 per cent of female students versus 28 per cent of male students) and that support for mental health and wellbeing was important to their success (30 per cent of female students versus 11 per cent male students). 
• Younger students were more likely to identify a balance between academic workload and social opportunities as key to their success than older students (30 per cent of 18-24 year olds versus 17 per cent of over 25s). 

Savanta polling found that:

• Just over three in five (64 per cent) respondents were most concerned about the cost of living. This was higher among undergraduates and women.
• Half of current undergraduates and graduates were concerned about their health, welfare and overall wellbeing.  
• One third of current undergraduates said they had been affected by their student housing situation.  
• Half (50 per cent) of respondents cited their future employment prospects as the most important academic concern; this was highest among graduates (58 per cent).  
• A third of undergraduates (32 per cent) said they had experienced issues with how their course is taught, compared to 22 per cent of postgraduates.  
• Three in ten (28 per cent) graduates said their contact hours had been insufficient to support their learning.  

Focus groups

'I think universities could offer more support to struggling students with one-to-one support and pro-actively reaching out with support. I also think there should be more focus on careers advice and skills and offering relevant work placements.' (Male, 20, higher education student, YouGov focus group)

'I was promised x amount of hours in person and I wasn't able to due to strikes/Covid. Online lectures/seminars were not fruitful at all.' (Male, 23, graduate, YouGov focus group)

'You can't do anything without your health and with the stress that can come with the intense study and financial restraints of university life it is particularly important that the university supports students so they can maintain good wellbeing.' (Male, 20, higher education student, YouGov focus group)

'Lots of different things can influence student interests. Cultural differences can mean some students might need varying levels of support to properly enjoy university life. Socioeconomic backgrounds for example can require that students will have an interest in needing either more financial support or the ability to balance part time work with studies.' (Female, 23, higher education student, YouGov focus group)

'Some students are being more widely hit by the cost-of-living crisis than others. Especially if they do not have parents that are able to help or generally come from a more lower income area.' (Female, 18, further education student, YouGov focus group)

'A positive university student experience means feeling supported both academically and personally, having access to engaging and high-quality courses, forming meaningful friendships, participating in extracurricular activities, and feeling a sense of belonging within the university community.' (Male, 24, graduate, YouGov focus group)

'I expect to be able to feel more employable and confident in my topic area. I want to work for local councils once I leave university and hope that opportunities in that field are more welcoming to me because of my education and fresh expertise gained.' (Female, 18, further education student, YouGov Focus Group)