National Student Survey 2026

Student satisfaction among undergraduates at Welsh universities and colleges has increased  with 84% of final year undergraduate students saying that they were satisfied with their course this year.

This is up from 82% overall satisfaction in 2025.

The National Student Survey (NSS) is open to final year undergraduate students at higher education providers across the UK. This year’s survey was open from 8 January to 30 April 2026.

The NSS is one of the primary indicators of student satisfaction for Medr and the tertiary education sector, capturing comprehensive feedback from final-year undergraduate higher education students on key aspects of their educational experience, from teaching quality and course organisation to how effectively their voices are heard within their institutions.  

Medr’s Strategic Plan highlights its commitment to ensure that learners receive the highest-quality provision in a tertiary education sector that strives for continuous improvement.

James Owen, Chief Executive of Medr said:

“We are once again pleased to see maintenance or improvements across all question outcomes for Wales in the 2026 NSS compared to the 2025 NSS.

“We continue to be encouraged that Wales continues to perform broadly in line with UK-wide scores and exceeding them in the themes of Academic Support and Student Voice. These outcomes are once again a testament to impactful work across institutions in Wales.

“It has been encouraging to see the strong collaboration between institutions and students’ unions over the past year, working together to enhance the student experience and support student success. Congratulations to all involved on these achievements.

“Earlier this year, we introduced our Learner Engagement Code as part of the Regulatory Framework, recognising the important role meaningful learner engagement plays in decision-making. Effective engagement benefits current and future learners, providers, and the wider tertiary education sector in Wales.

“Welsh institutions continue to take NSS outcomes seriously and remain committed to working in partnership with students and their representatives to drive continuous improvement and enhance quality.

“Looking ahead to the 2026/27 academic year, the student experience remains a key strength of higher education in Wales. We warmly welcome prospective and future students, who can expect high-quality programmes, supportive communities, and a rich and rewarding university experience.”

2026 National Student Survey results: Comparative data by question

	Question	UK 2025 (positivity score%)	UK 2026 (positivity score%)	Wales 2025 (positivity score%)	Wales 2026 (positivity score%)
1	How good are the staff at explaining things?	93	94	93	94
2	How often of teaching staff make the subject interesting?	83	85	83	85
3	How often is the course intellectually stimulating?	86	86	86	86
4	How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?	87	88	87	88
5	To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?	85	86	85	86
6	How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?	87	89	87	88
7	To what extent have you had the chance to bring together ideas and information from different topics?	85	86	85	86
8	To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?	79	81	80	81
9	How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?	85	87	86	87
10	How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work/	78	81	80	82
11	How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?	84	86	85	86
12	How well have the assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?	84	86	84	86
13	How often have you received assessment feedback on time?	83	85	85	85
14	How often does feedback help you to improve your work?	75	77	75	77
15	How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?	88	89	89	90
16	How well have the teaching staff supported your learning?	88	90	89	90
17	How well organised is your course?	77	80	79	80
18	How well were any changes to teaching on your communicated?	80	82	80	82
19	How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?	87	88	87	88
20	How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?	90	91	90	91
21	How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?	88	89	88	89
22	To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?	85	86	85	86
23	To what extent are students’ opinions about the course valued by staff?	80	82	81	83
24	How clear is it that students’ feedback on the course is acted on?	68	72	69	72
25	How well does the Students’ union (association or guild) represent students’ academic interests?	76	79	78	79
26	How well communicated was information about your university/college’s mental wellbeing support services?	82	85	79	83
28	Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the course	N/A	N/A	82	84