NSS results arriving soon – here’s what you need to know

09 Jul 2025

The NSS results provide a vital opportunity for hearing student voices and shaping what comes next.

The results of the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS) will be released on Wednesday 9 July, giving us rich insights into how final-year undergraduate students feel about their time at Manchester.

While the data gives us an important moment to reflect, it also plays a central role in planning improvements and celebrating where we’re getting it right.

Here's what’s what you need to know ahead of the release:

What is the NSS – and why does it matter?

Run by the Office for Students (OfS), the NSS captures how students feel about key aspects of their university experience — from teaching and assessment to academic support and wellbeing. It’s an independent survey with UK-wide reach and real weight across the sector.

It’s one of the most significant tools we have for listening to our students in a structured, comparable way. That’s why it informs everything from our internal quality reviews to external league tables and the Discover Uni platform.

What’s new – and what’s stayed the same?

The NSS survey format hasn’t changed since 2023, when substantial updates were introduced. These included new questions on mental wellbeing and freedom of expression — themes that continue to be a focus this year.

The response scale continues to omit the previous ‘neutral’ middle ground, so we use a ‘Positivity Score’ — measuring the percentage of students who agreed or strongly agreed with each statement. Unlike last year, this time we’ll be able to make direct year-on-year comparisons and assess whether recent actions are making an impact.

Student engagement – more voices than ever?

This year’s response rates have looked encouraging, thanks to the coordinated efforts of staff across the University. While the official final figure will be confirmed on results day, early signs suggest we’ve exceeded 2023’s participation.

That broader engagement makes the results all the more meaningful and reflective of our diverse student body.

What happens next?

The results release is just the beginning. Once we receive the full dataset, it will be shared across Schools and Faculties for deeper analysis. Teams will then start working on tailored action plans to address key themes and share best practice where we’ve performed strongly.

This process plays a critical role in shaping improvements to teaching, support, and wider student experience. In short: the NSS doesn’t just help us reflect — it helps us act.

More information

To learn more about how NSS works or to view past results, visit the NSS StaffNet pages.

You can also contact the Taught Programme Enhancement Team directly at: teachingandlearningsurveys@manchester.ac.uk