Imperial celebrates strong student satisfaction, as NSS results are revealed

Student satisfaction at Imperial is in the top quartile of the Russell Group, according to the most recent National Student Survey (NSS)

The Survey results show that satisfaction levels have increased in the theme of 'Organisation and Management', freedom of expression, and student awareness of mental health and wellbeing services.

This year’s survey closed on 30 April 2024 and the response rate from final year undergraduates was 74%. 

Striving for success 

Professor Ian Walmsley, Provost of Imperial College London said: “Science is more than a subject – it’s a way of seeing the world. Every member of our final year undergraduate community understands the power of a rigorous, collaborative, and inspirational university experience to realise this ambition, then apply it for the good of all. 

“They engaged in the National Student Survey in large numbers, and these results reconfirm that Imperial’s longterm investment and planning is having a positive impact on our students. Improvements in 'Organisation and Management', freedom of expression, and student awareness of mental health service are all key indicators of a positive culture on our campuses, and ranking in the top quartile among our Russell Group peers in the UK university sector creates an excellent benchmark we must maintain for the future.”  

Imperial's Vice-Provost (Education and Student Experience), Professor Peter Haynes said: “Imperial’s focus on science, engineering, medicine and business sets us apart from other UK universities, and means we offer a challenging, research-intensive environment for those choosing to study with us. As a result, our undergraduates expect enriching experiences to ensure they remain engaged in their learning, and most importantly of all, enjoy their time at university.  

“I am delighted these results show that Imperial is achieving this balance and has kept our strong position among our peers in the Russell Group.

“So, if you are a prospective student with a passion for your subject and wondering about the opportunities that Imperial might open up for you, please visit our Study web site and find out how you can join our community.” 

Prioritising the student experience 

Within the past year, Imperial has achieved remarkable success when assessed on its student experience by third parties. 

This began with a Gold Award in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a national rating system used to assess teaching quality. This result was partially based upon five years of aggregated NSS results, marking out the learning experience as excellent and among one of the best within the Russell Group. 

This also followed a series of achievements for the university in several other rankings, including its best-ever results in the UK’s Research Excellence Framework (REF), being named The Guardian University of the Year 2023, top for Graduate Employment in The Times/The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024, and second in the 2025 QS World University rankings. 

Yet Imperial will never be complacent, and plans are already well underway to continue reimagining how students experience the university. 

The longstanding Learning and Teaching Strategy has just been refreshed. While retaining many of its original aims, it now looks to tackle several key, challenging topics covered by NSS, such as the quality of assessment and feedback received by students.  

This approach underpins a new university-wide strategy with an even greater scope. It identifies our class of 2030 as a crucial cohort who will be nurtured to be the most talented, the most enterprising and the most diverse graduating class Imperial has ever had the privilege to serve. This will be in part driven by new investments in scholarships, digital and virtual learning environments, and campuses. 

First among the university’s efforts to widen the pool of applicants who might feel enabled to join the community, the Imperial Bursary now provides one of the most generous schemes of its kind in the UK. Home undergraduate students can spend up to £5,000/year for every year that their course lasts to help with the cost of studying in London. In the past year alone, Imperial spent £10million supporting students through this scheme.

What next? 

Imperial is committed to taking a comprehensive approach to continually improving the experience being offered to students, supporting them to thrive in and beyond their studies as members of a diverse community.

These plans will largely focus on the ‘Imperial Experience’ project, which will be prioritising aspects of the student experience which happen outside the classroom. This next big step – joining up the way students encounter and use different services – will span the full student lifecycle from when learners transition from school to university, all the way up to a graduate discovering all there is to enjoy as part of our alumni community.