One in four Leeds 2023 graduates dissatisfied with teaching quality, league tables show
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The University of Leeds has slipped down The Guardian and the Complete University Guide league tables of UK universities.
Falling six and seven places, the University placed 27th and 22nd in the respective league tables.
| Rank | University | Overall | Student satisfaction | Research Quality | Graduate prospects |
| 1 | University of Cambridge | 100% | N/a | 88% | 91% |
| 2 | University of Oxford | 98% | N/a | 87% | 90% |
| 3 | London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) | 96% | 78% | 88% | 87% |
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 21 | Cardiff University | 75% | 76% | 84% | 83% |
| 22 | University of Leeds | 75% | 74% | 84% | 80% |
| 23 | University of East Anglia | 75% | 76% | 84% | 78% |
In the UK-only rankings, student satisfaction and satisfaction with feedback were two of the lowest-performing categories.
The Complete University Guide placed Leeds 123rd for student satisfaction, with 74% of students satisfied with the quality of teaching received. Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University and Leeds Trinity University all ranked higher in this category.
Both league tables are based on the results of the National Student Survey (NSS) sent out to final year students.
Asked about the fall in league table results, a university spokesperson said: “Leeds participates in a wide range of university league tables, and while we are naturally disappointed with any decline, we continue to perform strongly in other rankings”
They cited the international QS table, which uses different methodologies to the NSS. Leeds secured 75th place, its best position since QS began publishing rankings in 2004. Sustainability and international research quality were two areas the university excelled in.
LUU’s student executive’s education officer Bethany Corner, spoke to The Gryphon about the downturn in NSS feedback. She said the executive team wanted to “make sure the lessons learned from the past couple of years are not forgotten”.
Bethany said increased student ownership was central to this,
“Rather than being consumers of a product we are seeing students become more and more active in the change making processes from the very beginning.”
Part of this is staff-student feedback, such as module evaluations which allow students to inform staff about teaching quality. However, in the NSS, less than half of Leeds students responded positively to “How clear is it that the student’s feedback on the course is acted on?”.
In terms of teaching quality a spokesperson for the university said: “We recognise that more needs to be done. We are working hard to transform the University’s learning framework”.
Similarly, Bethany said the LUU student executive were “constantly pushing and having conversations to encourage everyone to do better”. However, neither mentioned practical details for how teaching will improve this academic year.
Considering the growing commercialisation and increased cost burden of a university degree, the idea of students as consumers who are entitled to ‘high-value’ experiences has gained salience.
In light of this, some frustrated students have pursued legal routes, claiming that the consumer rights they are entitled to in UK law have been violated.
This was tested between 2020 and 2023 when StudentGroupClaim.com, a campaign of University College London (UCL) students, filed a court claim against their university for inadequate teaching provision during Covid.
They said they wanted to address a “power imbalance” between students and their university. In a partial win for the campaign in July 2023, the high court said UCL should engage in alternative dispute resolution and provide compensation out of court.
Whilst acknowledging necessary improvements to be made, education officer Bethany Corner said that the University of Leeds remains a great choice for prospective students.
She emphasised the strong student community, the empowered and engaged societies, and the opportunities presented by global connections between the university and its partners.
