New survey reveals that nearly half of UK students were dissatisfied with their degrees this year

A new survey has revealed that nearly half of all UK university students believe that their degrees failed to offer sufficient value for the cost this year as universities struggled to respond to the ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey found that 44 percent of UK students thought their courses offered poor value during the 2020-21 academic year. This is twice as many students as in 2019-20 despite the impact of the pandemic on that academic year as well. According to the Higher Education Policy Institute think-tank that pioneered the survey, the increase in student dissatisfaction likely reflects the opinion that students were misled as to how much in-person teaching thy would receive this past year.

This year marked a first for the survey, which has been conducted for the last 15 years, as being the first time that a greater number of students reported being dissatisfied with their courses than those who reported feeling satisfied. Students reported feeling particularly angry with tuition prices and low contact hours with in-person instruction. “This isn’t worth £9k,” one student wrote. 

Nicola Dandridge, the chief executive of the university regulator, the Office for Students, responded to the survey by urging institutions to increase transparency with students in regards to levels of in-person teaching that can realistically expect for the 2021-22 academic year.

“It is clearly of concern to see such a significant increase in the number of students saying that their course presents poor value for money – largely driven by the limited availability of in-person tuition,” said Dandridge. “If we are going to learn lasting and meaningful lessons from the pandemic, listening carefully and responding to students’ views will be essential.”

Certain universities, such as the London School of Economics, have attempted to increase transparency by assuring students that they will offer all lectures online and most seminars in-person next year. Other institutions remain vague on their plans saying only that specific details will depend on year of study, course, and module choice.

The survey, which received responses from 10,000 full-time undergraduate students in the UK, also revealed that nearly 20 percent plan on pursuing postgraduate study.

UCL and Sheffield, along with various other institutions, have reported an increased number of postgraduate applications this year, potentially due to student’s concerns surrounding cuts to entry-level job opportunities during the pandemic.