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Students signal significant bounce-back in the value of their studies

  • 9 June 2022

The Advance HE/HEPI 2022 Student Academic Experience Survey shows student perceptions of value for money and other key indicators have shifted positively towards pre-Covid levels.

Encouraging signs of recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the student academic experience are revealed in the 2022 Student Academic Experience Survey published today, 9 June 2022, by Advance HE and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI), written by Jonathan Neves and Dr Alexis Brown.

Key findings, reflecting the responses of over 10,000 full-time undergraduate students, include:

  • 35% of respondents reported ‘good’ or ‘very good’ value for money; a significant improvement from 27% last year
  • 32% reported ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’ value, against 44% in 2021
  • a clear upturn in perceptions of positive value held by students from England (24% in 2021 to 35% in 2022) and Wales (29% in 2021 to 40% in 2022)
  • perceptions of value among Scottish students have declined (50% in 2021 to 48% in 2022); Northern Ireland students view their experience the lowest value – 28% – though this is a slight improvement from 2021 at 27%
  • measures of ‘experience versus expectations’ show improvement too, with a 4% increase to 17% this year saying that their expectations had been exceeded; those reporting their expectations had not been met fell from 27% (2021) to 17% (2022); most students, 51%, reported that their experience was ‘better in some ways and worse in others’. First-year students are noticeably more upbeat than those in their second or third year of study
  • mental health remains a very significant concern and is by a considerable margin the most common reason students give if they are considering leaving university (34% cited mental health, the next most cited reason was, ‘course content not what I expected’, 8%); students recorded the importance of lecture staff being able to support them as well as mental health specialists

Significant factors influencing poor value are tuition fees, teaching quality and the cost of living, the latter two both being of greater importance than reported in last year’s survey. The cost of living was particularly highly noted by disabled students – 42% – whereas it was a significant factor for 34% of students not declaring as disabled. In thinking about value, students appear least concerned about sports and social facilities, class size, and university buildings and campus. When asked which costs associated with studying were of most concern to students, over twice as many students said they were most concerned about the cost of living (52%) as the cost of tuition fees (23%).

For responses to both ‘expectations not being met’ and ‘expectations being exceeded’, course organisation, teaching quality and feedback were all important considerations. Students were positive about their course being challenging; and this year, there was a slight increase in the number of students who would not change their course or university (59%, 2022 and 58% 2021), though this is still some way below the 2018 and 2019 pre-pandemic level, both 64%. 

In open questions about improving the academic experience, the most frequently raised topics were, in order: quality of feedback; quantity of in-person teaching (linked with other Covid restrictions); administrative failures; mental health support, and strike action.  

In new questions this year, about loneliness and freedom of speech on campus’, the majority of students (64%) either agreed or agreed strongly with the statement that ‘I feel comfortable expressing my viewpoint, even if my peers do not agree with me’, with only 14% disagreeing or disagreeing strongly. That said, Black and Asian students were less likely to agree that they heard a variety of views on campus (58% and 61% agree versus 72% of White students). A breakdown of the figures showing a sense of belonging reveals that the majority of White students – 61% – feel this positively, while for other student groups, the sense of belonging is significantly less evident: Asian: 48%; Black 46%; Chinese 46%; mixed: 53%; and Other 43%. However, a new question on loneliness identified that higher education can be a lonely place, with nearly one-in-four feeling lonely ‘all’ or ‘most’ of the time.

Nick Hillman, Director of HEPI, said:

“It is fantastic to see so many of the key measures bouncing back after such a difficult period. Most students have been keen to get on with their studies, despite the impact of Covid and also industrial action, and staff have been working their socks off to help ensure this happens. We are not out of the woods yet, as some indicators continue to lag behind their pre-Covid levels. Yet the headline story from this year’s survey is undoubtedly a positive one about recovery.

Nonetheless, despite the continuing strong appeal of higher education, it is a tough time to be a student, with cost-of-living rises, mental health challenges and worries about the future. One area that we have not previously explored in the survey but which is included this year is loneliness and a notably high proportion of students say they often feel lonely.

Higher education institutions are generally keen to do more to support their students in every way they can, but this can only happen if there are sufficient resources to deliver excellent teaching and excellent support outside of the seminar rooms.

Alison Johns, Chief Executive Advance HE, said:

It is welcome to see that overall, perceptions of value are recovering, though it is clear from the detail of the report that some groups, particularly Black students, do not enjoy the same experience as their peers. The findings in the report offer insights for institutions to make evidence-informed change and to accelerate this improvement for all students. 

The evidence of poor mental health remains a significant worry. I know that many in the sector are working really hard to support students, and I believe it is imperative that we draw from this evidence that we all need to do even more together, especially sharing good practice.

The Survey was designed and developed in partnership between Advance HE and the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI). SAES has been running since 2006 and is widely referenced to support policy and evidence for change.

The report authors are Jonathan Neves (Advance HE) and Dr Alexis Brown (HEPI).

1 comment

  1. albert wright says:

    It is good that things are getting better and more students feel better.

    More could be done to improve on the present position but this would cost more.

    We need to look at all these issues and do so in a wider context that includes comparative figures – specifically for people in the same age groups.

    I wonder what the percentages would be if this survey was conducted for young people aged 18 to 23 that are unemployed, or working as apprentices, or working in different sectors such as hospitality or construction or the Civil Service or hospitals .

    I would guess that even more than 25% would be “unhappy”. Just asking students about this bunch of issues results in comparing the results with those of previous student and I think this is of little value.

    Those that go to University are priviliged and lucky. More young people apply than get places. Perhaps university students should complain less.

    Perhaps some students would be happier if they had not gone to University. Perhaps they would have bettermental health.

    Perhaps young people doing apprenticeships are happier (the figures for Apprenticeship Degrees seem to support this).

    The responses of those from ethnic minorities and who have a disability seem to indicate less satisfaction than their colleagues who are white and differently able. However, I would imagine that this is also true for young people doing apprenticeships or claiming benefits or in work generally.

    If we had the comparative figures we would know much more and be able to have a better understanding.

    We need to ask the right questions to different groups of people currently of the same age but not full time students rather than making comparisons with past students.

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