University of Bath has happiest students, according to student satisfaction survey

Almost 15,000 full-time undergraduate students responded to the Times Higher Education survey

Students at the University of Bath are the happiest in Britain, according to a new survey.

A Times Higher Education (THE) student survey showed while some universities had better their performance last year, overall across the UK student satisfaction – or happiness – had fallen.

The THE survey asks students to assess campus facilities, industry connection and cheap amenities – as well as the more traditional benchmarks, such as assessed learning and teaching standards.

Last year’s winner, Sheffield, dropped to third place, while Loughborough University came in third place, appearing to cement the dominance of campus-based universities in the leading positions.

Three universities – Nottingham, Dundee, and Durham – dropped off the top ten but two new entries, the University of Surrey and Newcastle University, joined at sixth and tenth place respectively.

Although Oxford and Cambridge both made the top ten, neither made the top of the table.

Around 14,700 full-time undergraduate students took part in the tenth annual survey, rating 21 different aspects of university life, showing that the average overall score had fallen from 75.5 to 74.7.

Editor of the Times Higher Education magazine John Gill suggested that the slight drop in satisfaction may be due to increasing student numbers.

“The easing of student number controls has led to significant expansion by some universities and competition for students is set to increase further with the uncapping of student places this autumn,” Mr Gill told the Times. “This is putting new pressure on the student experience as institutions change in size and shape.”