National Student Survey (NSS)

Open from 19 March to 6 May 2026

About the NSS

What is the NSS

The NSS is your opportunity to give your honest feedback about what it has been like to study on your course at your university or college. The National Student Survey (NSS) is your chance to look back on your higher education experience and speak out on everything from the teaching on your course, access to resources and equipment, and even about the student voice. It is published every year and is a rich source of information about your higher education experience. The survey is a key component of the quality assurance in UK higher education. It is a high-profile annual census of final-year undergraduate students across the UK and is conducted annually since 2005.

The survey is completed by final-year undergraduate students who are studying higher education courses at universities and colleges across the UK.

As students, you have a powerful collective voice that will help shape the future of your course and your university/college for current and prospective students.

Who benefits from the NSS?

Your feedback from the NSS provides universities or colleges with a picture of what the learning experience has been like for you as a current student. Universities and colleges, and student unions (associations or guilds) look at the anonymised NSS data to understand what they do best, and what needs to change. Your opinions can be used to help make changes that will improve the learning experience.

What is being asked in the survey

Open comments

Students are given the opportunity to give positive and negative comments on their student learning experience as a whole at their university or college. Comments are optional and are passed on anonymously to the universities and colleges to help them identify where their strengths lie and also how they can make improvements.

To preserve your anonymity and that of others, you are asked not to make comments that:

• could enable you to be identified as an individual;
• name individuals; or
• make references that could identify another individual, e.g., a course leader or head of department.

How long does it take to complete the NSS?

The NSS questions only takes about ten minutes to complete.

How do I take part in the NSS?

• It is electronic.
• It is administered by the University of York and not by CITY College, University of York Europe Campus
• You will receive an email by the University with subject: CITY College NSS Survey
• This email is signed by the Associate PVC for Learning, Teaching and Students in University of York
• The NSS is anonymous: no individuals are identified in the analysis of the responses

Make sure that you fully complete and submit your response.

Will my responses be confidential?

Your responses to the survey are confidential, and all responses are anonymised before they are provided in the form of statistical information only.

What if I don’t want to complete the NSS?

Participation in the NSS is voluntary.