University of Lancashire climbs 14 places in student positivity survey

Students attending the University of Lancashire say the educational experience they receive is overwhelmingly positive, shooting the institution up a huge 14 places in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS).

 The university’s improved overall positivity score places it 35th for average positivity out of 122 institutions included in the Guardian League Table, increasing by 2.6 per cent to 84.3 per cent compared to 81.7 per cent in 2024 after seeing higher positivity scores in all 27 standard questions.

The University of Lancashire was highly rated by its students on questions about learning opportunities, learning resources and assessment and feedback, scoring 0.9 per cent above the sector average overall.

Prof Andrew Ireland, pro vice-chancellor for students and teaching said: "Improvements in our overall positivity score has also seen us move further up regional rankings with us now placed 6th out of 12 in the North West for average positivity and 8th out of 19 institutions in the Million+ grouping.

 “Students are at the heart of everything we do and as a University we strive to constantly improve the experience they have with us.

"These results show that we listen to our students and act decisively using the feedback they provide. Our whole University family ought to be very proud of our strong National Student Survey performance.”

 In individual subject areas, the University of Lancashire was first in the sector for positivity in Drama, Midwifery, Journalism, Nutrition and Dietetics, Archaeology, and Social Sciences, with a further nine subjects ranked in the top five.

Prof Ireland said: "It is fantastic to see so many improvements across the board, and I wish to thank all of our staff for the part they’ve played and their continued focus on improving teaching, learning and the student experience."

 The National Student Survey (NSS) gathers students’ opinions on the quality of their courses which helps to inform prospective students’ choices and provides data that supports universities and colleges to improve the student experience.

 Every university in the UK takes part in the NSS, as do many colleges. Response rates are consistently high. The 2025 results were published on Wednesday 09 July.