Buckingham University named best in the UK for student satisfaction

Vice-chancellor says Buckingham doesn't have 'big, impersonal lectures' like some larger universities

Aftab Ali
Student Editor
Friday 29 April 2016 16:59 BST
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(The University of Buckingham/Facebook)

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Students are most satisfied with the quality of teaching at the University of Buckingham, says a new league table.

According to the Complete University Guide (CUG), students have left the independent university “delighted” with the academic staff, saying they were “easily reachable, enthusiastic, and interesting.”

Surrey and Keele have also been placed second and third respectively, with Coventry and Liverpool Hope taking the fourth and fifth positions.

Top 10 universities for student satisfaction
(Maximum score - 5):

  1. Buckingham - 4.36
  2. Surrey - 4.31
  3. Keele - 4.28
  4. Coventry - 4.28    
  5. Liverpool Hope - 4.28    
  6. Loughborough - 4.26
  7. Bangor - 4.26
  8. St Andrews - 4.23
  9. Essex - 4.22
  10. City - 4.20

Buckingham said it was “very proud” having taken the top spot, adding: “At a time when there is such concern about the quality of teaching at our universities, there is no accolade more important than this.”

Vice-chancellor, Sir Anthony Seldon, described how an increasing number of students are choosing Buckingham over large universities because, instead of “big, impersonal lectures,” Buckingham’s academics have “an open door policy,” allowing for students to get help whenever they need it.

He said: “It isn’t surprising we’re ahead of Oxford and Cambridge. Our students are taught by lecturers, many of whom are leading academics in their field.

The 20 hardest universities to get into

“As one of Britain’s smaller universities, we can offer a friendly, caring environment which is very conducive to successful learning.”

CUG collected data from the National Student Survey (NSS) - a survey of final-year undergraduate students in 2015 - which asked questions about a variety of aspects of teaching.

CUG’s main league table saw Loughborough and University College London enter the top ten best universities in the country rankings for the first time, as Cambridge and Oxford took the top two spots.

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