National Student Survey places York St John above national average

Nationally, York St John achieved a score of 85% for overall satisfaction in the 2020 National Student Survey (NSS), retaining a top quartile position amongst English universities. 

The National Student Survey, carried out by the Office for Students, is one of the biggest student surveys in the world and is based on responses from over 311,000 students nationwide. York St John University’s score of 85% for overall satisfaction places it above the national average of 83%.   

The score puts York St John University in the top quartile of all English universities for a second year running.  

The 2020 NSS asked UK undergraduates about aspects of their experience at university including teaching, academic support and learning resources. Students at York St John responded with scores above sector average in each of the nine measures of the survey.  

This performance represents three consecutive years of above sector performance for student satisfaction. Results show that York St John is second among Yorkshire universities for overall student satisfaction. It also leads the entire North East region for academic support and places in the top three for teaching satisfaction.  

The scores show that York St John is in the top five for assessment and feedback, and top 15 for academic support nationally. Students again highlighted the sense of belonging at the University, with strong scores for questions relating to the learning community. Additionally, York St John has seen another year of high scores for teaching, learning opportunities and learning resources. 

Commenting on the outstanding results, Professor Karen Bryan, Vice Chancellor of York St John University said:  

“The experience students have at university is hugely important to me personally and to all of us at York St John. We dedicate everything to maintaining and improving student satisfaction and this year’s NSS score represents our students’ whole university experience. I'm incredibly proud of all staff at York St John and recognise the many contributions that led to this result. I’m delighted to see that our students have once again responded positively as a result of the time, effort and resources we’ve committed to providing a supportive and personalised approach to learning.”  

 The results of the survey are used by universities, colleges, and student unions to drive improvements across multiple areas of students’ academic experience and information on the 2020 National Student Survey can be found here on the Office for Students website.