Harper Adams University is the UK’s number 1 for student experience

For the UK’s best student experience, future students should apply to study at Harper Adams University, today revealed as number one following a country-wide student survey.

Harper Adams beat competition from more than 120 other universities to reach the top spot in the Times Higher Education (THE) UK Student Experience Survey. It won high praise from students for its quality of teaching, campus facilities and strong community atmosphere.

More than 15,000 students were questioned about their university experience across 22 criteria including teaching, accommodation, facilities and social aspects.

John Gill, editor of Times Higher Education, said as the survey results were published this morning: “It is notable that our league table is topped by a specialist institution with among the best track records for industry links and employability. Our survey tracks student attitudes across 22 criteria, but there’s no doubt that students put enormous stock on their future career prospects in this era of high tuition fees.”

Responding to the university’s success, Vice-Chancellor Dr David Llewellyn said: “Our students have obviously responded very positively to bring this result about, and I just want to say a huge thank you to them for their support.

“Our staff work very hard to ensure that our students get a great education at Harper Adams, while our Students’ Union team runs an enviable social programme. These factors, together with great facilities, good connections with employers and a strong academic community are a winning formula, and we are delighted that it has resulted in us coming first in the UK in this year’s survey.”

As well as finishing top overall in the survey, Harper Adams was the ranked number one in the “good community atmosphere”; “well-structured courses” and “personal requirements catered for” measures.

It was also joint second for “helpful/interested staff” and “good environment on campus”; and equal third for “good social life”.
Universities Minister Jo Johnson added: “It is great to see a wide range of institutions, both old and new, doing well in this survey. The fact that a relatively new and specialist university has topped the survey proves that offering students more choice really works.”

Harper Adams debuted in second place in THE Student Experience Survey in 2016. It is the current holder of the Whatuni University of the Year title and was named Modern University of the Year by the Times Good University Guide 2017.