Around 75 percent of students in higher education are satisfied or very satisfied with their study programme. The trend is positive: five years ago, during the coronavirus crisis, this figure was still 71.5 percent.
Students are especially positive about the atmosphere on their programme: around eighty percent are satisfied. About three quarters are also satisfied with the content of the programme. In addition, students often feel comfortable on their programme and feel safe being themselves.
There is, however, a difference between university students and students at universities of applied sciences. University students are more positive. This time, 82 percent of university students say they are satisfied, compared with 70 percent of students at universities of applied sciences.
Student responses
This is shown by the responses in the National Student Survey, which 248,000 students completed this spring. Almost one in three students in higher education took part.
This survey by the Landelijk Centrum Studiekeuze (National Centre for Study Choice ed.) is carried out on behalf of the Ministry of Education. Prospective students can use the results to compare study programmes, for example on Studiekeuze123.nl, while higher education institutions can use the results to improve their study programmes.
Study pressure
Strikingly, the number of students experiencing excessive study pressure has fallen. In 2021, around 38 percent of students suffered from this; this year the figure was 31 percent. University students experience slightly more pressure than students at universities of applied sciences.
According to students, teacher training programmes feel the most demanding: almost half say the study pressure there is too high. Economics students experience the least pressure: only 24 percent feel this way.
Lecturers and assessments
Students are generally happy with their lecturers, although university students are more positive than students at universities of applied sciences. Almost ninety percent of university students consider their lecturers academically knowledgeable. At universities of applied sciences, this figure is around 75 percent.
Five years ago, however, students rated their lecturers’ expertise slightly higher: 92 and 80 percent – respectively for universities and universities of applied sciences – considered lecturers knowledgeable at that time.
Students see room for improvement in assessment and grading. Fewer than sixty percent are satisfied. Some feel that the feedback on their assignments or assessments could be better. Students also say it is not always clear which criteria they are being assessed against.
In addition, they sometimes feel insufficiently prepared for their future work. This applies more often to university students: almost a quarter feel that the programme they are following does not sufficiently match their future career.