UK Postgraduate Satisfaction Survey: Overseas Students Rating Up

Highlights

• Overseas postgraduate taught students in the UK are significantly more satisfied with their courses than their domestic counterparts.
• The satisfaction gap between overseas and domestic students is widest in the areas of teaching, assessment, and organization.
• The findings suggest that UK universities need to do more to improve the satisfaction of domestic postgraduate taught students.

A new report has found that overseas postgraduate taught students in the UK are significantly more satisfied with their courses than their domestic counterparts. The report, which was conducted by Advance HE, a UK-based higher education organization, found that 88% of overseas students were satisfied with their courses, compared with 79% of domestic students.

Advance HE, a member-led charity for higher education providers, released its annual Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey with nearly 84,000 responses from across 101 HEIs (Higher Education Institutions), and the results showed mixed reviews for international students. 

When looking at satisfaction in various areas – resources, teaching, engagement, assessment and organisation – International students’ satisfaction was trending higher in every category. For example, in resources, UK students reported 87% satisfaction; non-EU students reported 93%.

In teaching, engagement, assessment and organisation, the UK scored 82%, 79%, 77% and 71%, respectively. Those from outside the EU (International students) responding scored 87%, 85%, 82% and 82% respectively.

“One indication is that overseas students tend to express negative views less in their comments… some appear less likely than UK PGTs to criticise when things don’t go so well,” Jason Leman, the report’s author and survey executive at Advance HE quoted.

This satisfaction, Leman commented, highlights “the successful expansion of taught postgraduate study for these students across UK higher education”.

UK students were considerably more likely to consider leaving their course than overseas students – with 29% of UK students considering leaving in comparison to, for example, students from India, of whom only 6% had considered leaving.

The findings of the Advance HE report are a cause for concern for UK universities. If they want to attract and retain the best students from around the world, they need to do more to improve the satisfaction of domestic postgraduate taught students.