- Aston University receives a total positivity score of 80.9%
- Biological sciences and computer science with business among courses with over 90% satisfaction
- The University’s communication of wellbeing provision also improved its positivity score.
Aston University has scored over 80% for total positivity in the 2024 National Student Survey (NSS) and has also scored highly for learning resources and academic support, achieving total positivity scores of 87.1% and 85.5% respectively in these areas.
At subject level, the University also scored highly for optometry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science with business and construction project management, all of which had total positivity scores of over 90%.
The University’s communication of mental wellbeing provision also improved its positivity score this year, up 3.6% on last year’s results.
The National Student Survey (NSS) gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their courses which helps to inform prospective students’ choices, provide data that supports universities and colleges to improve the student experience and support public accountability.
The survey – one of the largest of its kind in the world – asks final year students in the UK questions about a range of factors related to their academic experience, including the teaching on their course, assessment and feedback and how well courses are organised.
Juan Carlos Garcia Belza, president of Aston Students' Union, said:
"We are pleased to see a strong positivity score and we work really hard to ensure students voices shape the key decisions that affect students' lives.”
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University, said:
“I am pleased that Aston University has achieved a total positivity score of over 80% this year. This is an improvement on last year, with the trajectory moving towards our target of 85% and above in our 2030 strategy.
“It reflects our commitment to providing our students with an excellent student experience and some of the best graduate outcomes in the country – our students are in the top 20 for median salary at both three and five years after graduation and we are second in the UK for social mobility.
“This result is also due to the dedication and commitment of all our staff and would not have been possible without our close collaboration with the Aston Students’ Union, whose input is fundamental in continuously improving our student experience.”
“The insights gained through the NSS survey will help to inform our work to ensure that all our students continue to receive the highest quality education experience at Aston University and that they are ready for work and life when they graduate.”
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Sue Smith, head of press and communications, on (+44) 7816 788663 or email: s.p.smith@aston.ac.uk