Satisfied research students put University of Northampton in the top four

The University of Northampton’s growing reputation for research has been bolstered after it was ranked fourth in the UK for postgraduate research student satisfaction.

Positive feedback from its students in the Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) saw the institution placed fourth out of UK universities in the Overall Satisfaction category.

The University also met or exceeded the averages for satisfaction in all but one of the survey’s categories, with its highest scoring categories being Research Skills (92%), Progression Arrangements (90%) and Supervision (86%).

The Postgraduate Research Experience Survey (PRES) is the only UK Higher Education sector-wide survey to get feedback from postgraduate research students about their learning and supervision experience.

Northampton PhD student, Lucy Atkinson, said: “During my research degree at Northampton, I have been provided with the full support required to become an effective researcher.

“I found a really friendly environment here, with helpful and resourceful academic staff. Over the years, I have been working with wonderful people, especially my supervisors, who have been the highlight of my PhD, supporting me in every aspect of my research and personal life.

“For those looking to embark on a PhD, I believe the University of Northampton will be a great start to their research careers, as it provides a strong diverse experience where research and professional development are possible.”

Professor Simon Denny, Executive Dean of Research, Impact and Enterprise, said: “I am delighted by the PRES results. We work very hard to provide our research students with the best support they can get. Our PhD and Professional Doctorate completion and progression rates are excellent and I am glad our research students have rated us so highly. We have invested heavily in the physical resources for research students and have a fantastic dedicated research centre at our new Waterside Campus.”

Ninety six postgraduate research students out of 320 at Northampton completed the survey.

Find out more about the survey on the Higher Education Academy website.