Issue 157

Student satisfaction high for a second year

08th October 2007

One of the UK's most respected university guides shows that Swansea has maintained its position as Wales's second University, after Cardiff. The 2007 Sunday Times University Guide was published last month and ranks Swansea University 44th= out of 124 institutions, the same position as 2006. The University guide measures several factors at each of the Universities, including teaching excellence, staff to student ratio, drop out rates and graduate employment. Research quality is also measured.

Swansea University's Vice -Chancellor, Professor Richard B Davies said, "The fact that we have maintained our position whilst other Welsh Institutions have lost ground demonstrates our value to the Welsh Higher Education sector. It highlights our success in offering a high quality teaching environment that provides students with life-enhancing experiences."

The University of Wales Aberystwyth was the only other Welsh Institution not to drop any places apart from Swansea University. Other Institutions dropped between three and twenty -one places in the league table. Aberystwyth climbed two places this year, from 49th in 2006 to 47th place.

The Sunday Times University Guide also highlights the "considerable research profile" that the University has established through various initiatives, including the recently opened Institute of Life Science, described in the guide as, "a truly impressive research facility," despite these new developments not yet feeding into the rankings.

The guide also praises Swansea University for its low dropout rates, noting that we enjoy, "lower than expected dropout rates." This year's National Student Satisfaction Survey, an annual review of what final year undergraduates think of their courses, describes Swansea as having "one of the lowest dropout rates for a city University."

Results of the latest survey ranked Swansea second in Wales and joint eighth in the UK for student satisfaction. Swansea University's Vice - Chancellor also commented that, "we are also making immense progress in terms of the quality of our research output, and I am confident that the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise will strengthen Swansea's position as a research led institution of international standing.

"This will, in turn, be reflected in future league tables and guides, and we can expect to see measurable improvements in our nationwide ranking. In the meantime we can look forward, with confidence, to sustained growth."

Caroline Sutch