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Students at the University of Birmingham have praised the quality of teaching and learning offered in the latest figures announced by the National Student Survey (NSS).

The NSS – the most comprehensive measure of student satisfaction within higher education – has awarded the University of Birmingham an overall satisfaction mark of 89%, placing it equal first among the 16 Russell Group institutions with published scores, and first among all universities in the West Midlands region.

The survey is one of the key metrics underlying the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), in which the University of Birmingham was awarded Gold in June, 2017. Teaching strength at Birmingham was particularly highlighted in the survey with more than 90% of respondents agreeing that teaching staff at the University are ‘good at explaining things’ and that the ‘course is intellectually stimulating’. In addition, students on 17 of the University’s courses returned scores of 100% satisfaction, including the first cohort to graduate from the University’s innovative and prestigious Liberal Arts & Sciences programme.

Commenting on today’s results, University of Birmingham Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir David Eastwood said:

“As a world-class university, we are focused on investing in and providing an outstanding experience for our students and I am delighted that this has clearly been recognised by them. From new facilities, such as our sector-leading library and our sports and fitness centre, to teaching, employability, and student welfare, we have invested significantly in all aspects of university life, ensuring that students are at the heart of what we do.

“Our excellent results in the National Student Survey follow on from our Gold award in the Teaching Excellence Framework last month; both recognise our commitment to delivering outstanding teaching in a research-intensive environment.”

The National Student Survey was launched in 2005 and is open to all final year degree students at institutions in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The survey is designed to assess students' opinions of the quality of their degree programmes. NSS is conducted by Ipsos MORI on behalf of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).