The National Student Survey (NSS) is run by Ipsos (formerly Ipsos MORI) on behalf of the Office for Students and runs at Oxford from late January to the end of April each year. It surveys all final year undergraduate students and is a compulsory survey from the Office for Students. If we reach the 50% response rate threshold as an institution then our results are used on the Discover Uni website (which is linked to UCAS) and is used by prospective students thinking of applying to universities in the UK. Individual subject areas e.g. History, also need to meet the 50% threshold for results to be published publicly.
If we receive more than 10 responses per department, course, college but less than the 50% threshold the results can only be used internally. The NSS survey was previously boycotted by Oxford SU since 2016 over a previously perceived link to the TEF framework and fees and the commercialisation of Higher Education, but these factors have now been considered and the SU now supports the survey. Oxford passed the 50% threshold in 2023 for the first time since 2016 and the public version of Oxford's results (and the public results of other institutions who passed the threshold) can be found on the Office for Students website. Colleges and departments will be sent prepared versions of the results including (where available) open comments from their students.
The results are benchmarked against other UK Institutions and many HEIs use the results in their promotional materials.
In 2025 the Office for Students will also ask students who have participated in the NSS to take part in a pilot survey on sexual misconduct in higher education, which will be open in the same window.
