Harper Adams University named University of the Year

For the first time in Whatuni history, a university has won the top honour of University of Year for the second year in a row.  Crucially, in a year where overall satisfaction in the sector has dropped markedly, Harper Adams University has risen in the views of its students.

As well as taking home the title of University of the Year, Harper Adams University also came top in three other award categories: Job Prospects, Course and Lecturers and Student Support.

The full ranking, which includes 127 universities, is published online today.  Universities were ranked by 27,000 students across 12 categories.  44 universities made the top ten of at least one category, 14 have come away with a top three finish, and eight universities took home a top place finish at an awards ceremony last night in London.

Dr David Llewellyn, Vice-Chancellor of Harper Adams University, commented: “We are thrilled to have been named the Whatuni Student Choice Awards University of the Year. This is a tremendous vote of confidence from our students and we greatly appreciate their support, as well as the many ways in which they contribute, with our staff, to creating a vibrant academic community working at the cutting edge of some of the world’s greatest challenges.

To have won the award for the first time last year was wonderful, but to have taken the top place for a second time is really special.  It just goes to show that smaller universities have a big role to play in providing an environment where students can really get the most out of their time in higher education.”

Marcella Collins, Managing Director Higher Education, Hotcourses Group, added: “We’d like to extend our congratulations to Harper Adams, taking home the University of the Year award for the second year in a row, as well as wins in three further categories.

Looking at the sector as a whole, it’s great to see ratings for Course and Lecturers have gone up.  But does this just reflect a short-term focus in response to fears of the TEF?  Whether universities are concentrating enough on the entire student experience, or just trying to appease legislators and secure funding, time and student reviews will tell.”

Each category in the Whatuni Student Choice Awards is based on the aggregate review score submitted by students at that university.  They are asked to rate their experience across the following categories: Student Support, Clubs and Societies, Accommodation, City Life, Job Prospects, Student Union, Course and Lecturers, Uni Facilities, and an Overall category.  The International category is based on the Overall scores submitted by international students.  New for 2017, a Postgraduate category, which is determined by the overall score submitted by postgraduates, and a Giving Back category, in which students were asked: “How much does your uni give back to the community (think global and local), do any projects stand out?”  The individual category results are published below.

Comparing student satisfaction across these categories with last year, the following trends in Higher Education emerge:

• Despite the overall category having the highest satisfaction score, it dropped significantly from 82.6% in 2016 to 81.4% in 2017
• 9 out of 11 UK regions had lower scores this year than last
• Regionally, Wales reports the most satisfied students, taking over from the North East in 2016. London students were the least satisfied 
• The three categories with the biggest increase in national improvement were Job Prospects (72% to 77.6%), Clubs and Societies (72% to 76.6%) and Students’ Union (70.6% to 73.8%)
• With the impending introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework, a marginal improvement in the score for Courses and Lecturers will be welcome.  This has increased from 79% in 2015 and 79.2% in 2016 to 79.4% in 2017

Commenting, Aaron Porter, Director of Insights, Hotcourses Group, said: “This has been another significant year for the higher education sector; the progress through Parliament of a Higher Education Bill, the impending introduction of the Teaching Excellence Framework and an upcoming reorganisation of the funding and regulatory landscape herald a new landscape. On that backdrop it is particularly heartening to see that students continue to offer a ringing endorsement for the quality of their experience both inside and out of the classroom.

The direct views of students should be central to any future developments that the sector embarks upon, and through the Whatuni Student Choice Awards over 27,000 students have given us a terrific resource to understand where universities are meeting and exceeding the expectations of students, but where there is still further room for improvement.”

Category Results:

Overall

1^st Harper Adams University

2^nd Loughborough University

3^rd Bangor University

Student Support

1^st Harper Adams University

2^nd Leeds College of Art

3^rd Edge Hill University

Clubs and Societies

1^st Bangor University

2^nd Loughborough University

3^rd Harper Adams University

Accommodation

1^st Edge Hill University

2^nd Harper Adams University

3^rd Loughborough University

City Life

1^st University of Edinburgh

2^nd University of Leeds

3^rd Newcastle University

Job Prospects

1^st Harper Adams University

2^nd Loughborough University

3^rd Royal Agricultural University

Student Union

1^st University of Sheffield

2^nd Loughborough University

3^rd Harper Adams University

Course and Lecturers

1^st Harper Adams University

2^nd Leeds College of Art

3^rd Bangor University

Uni Facilities

1^st Loughborough University

2^nd Leeds college of Art

3^rd Harper Adams University

International

1^st University of Exeter

2^nd Aberystwyth University

3^rd Swansea University

Postgraduate

1^st Swansea University

2^nd University of Exeter

3^rd University of Lincoln

Giving Back

1^st Loughborough University

2^nd Harper Adams University

3^rd Bangor University

Whatuni.com