Celebrating our NSS 2025 results together

The University of Southampton is celebrating an increase in student satisfaction this year, with student-led improvements placing us among the top 10 Russell Group universities in this year’s National Student Survey (NSS) results.

The impact of these improvements is especially evident in areas such as assessment and feedback and student voice, with the University seeing an increase in performance scores across all metrics, performing above benchmark levels throughout.

This positive change reflects the importance of the student voice at Southampton and the impact of student feedback.

The results show:

• 74 per cent of students participated in this year’s survey – an increase of two per cent compared to 2024
• 94 per cent of students think the University’s teaching staff are good at explaining things
• 89 per cent of students feel it’s easy to reach out to teaching staff for things like guidance, support and information
• 89 per cent of students feel their course is intellectually stimulating
• There’s been an increase in students seeing a difference made by their input
• 78 per cent of students thought the Students’ Union represents their academic interests.

Professor Deborah Gill, Vice-President (Education), said: “Students are at the heart of our thinking here at Southampton, and continuous improvement, co-designed with our students, is key to our development as a University.

“We’ve been listening to our students and working to better understand how we can improve their learning experiences and outcomes, inspire them in their future careers and enable them to thrive.

“These results reflect the hard and persistent work of a huge number of colleagues who teach and support learning here at Southampton and are a demonstration of our status as a leading global university and our commitment to providing the best possible education.

“I would like to thank all involved in making this improvement happen. I hope our students know how much their opinions and experiences are valued, and feel empowered to get involved in our decision-making processes to help us continue this important work.”

The NSS is a key indicator of how student needs are being met in higher education. It is commissioned by the Office for Students (OfS), and surveys final-year undergraduate students about key areas of student life, including the student experience, resources, teaching and support.

This latest success comes after several other reasons to celebrate at the University. Our students recently ranked us as 7th in the country, and our clubs and societies in the top 10, via StudentCrowd .

To further enhance the student experience, around £50m has been invested in fantastic new sports facilities and new teaching and learning spaces are on the way, with the latest developments on Highfield Campus due to open in 2027.

Find out more about Clearing 2025 at Southampton .