Student satisfaction at Durham University is high and continues to improve, according to the latest results of the National Student Survey (NSS) 2026.
The NSS is the independent annual survey of the quality of the academic student experience at UK universities. Students consistently rank Durham as one of the top universities for our teaching, academic support, the organisation of our courses and learning resources like IT and library access.
Durham students express particularly high satisfaction with the ability of our staff to explain their teaching, and their availability when needed. They are also highly satisfied with the quality of learning resources and the level of intellectual stimulation which our courses provide.
Students are particularly positive about the value which our staff place on their opinions, demonstrated by our highest ever score for ‘student voice’ for the second year running.
Students also score us highly for providing the right opportunities to give feedback and act on it.
We continue to seek and act upon our students’ feedback, including working with Durham Students’ Union on the development of our new University Strategy.
Our students strongly recognise the quality of our teaching, academic support and learning resources. They also feel their voices are being heard. The NSS provides valuable insight into where we can further improve. We are committed to continued close working with our students and Durham Students’ Union to ensure all students have the best possible experience with us.
The NSS surveys students on the following areas: teaching on their course, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, academic support, organisation and management, learning resources, and student voice.
The survey also asks for their views on mental wellbeing support communications, freedom to express ideas, opinions and beliefs, and how the Students’ Union represents academic interests.
The results follow another impressive year for Durham which saw us ranked 85th globally in the QS World University Rankings 2027, rising nine places
The QS also placed us in the world top 50 for employer reputation, recognising the value of a Durham degree in preparing our students for work and successful careers.
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