National Student Survey shows strengths of Biology at York

News

Posted on Thursday 31 July 2025

The results of the 2025 National Student Survey have revealed the strengths of the Department of Biology in ‘Academic Support’, ‘Learning Opportunities’, ‘Teaching on my course’, ‘Assessment and Feedback’ and ‘Organising and Management’.

Biology

We placed 1st in the Russell Group for ‘Learning Opportunities’ among universities included for Biosciences in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS).

We placed 2nd for ‘Academic Support’, ’Organisation and Management’ and ‘Teaching on my course’ in the Russell Group among universities included for Biosciences in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS).

We placed 3rd for ‘Student Voice’ in the Russell Group among universities included for Biology in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS), with a score of 84%.

We also placed 5th for ‘Assessment and Feedback’ in the Russell Group among universities included for Biology in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS), with a score of 84%.

Learning Opportunities

Q5. ‘To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?’ - we scored 90.0%
Q6. ‘How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?’ - we scored 94.3%
Q7. ‘To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?’ - we scored 84.3%
Q8. ‘To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?’ - we scored 72.9%
Q9. ‘How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?’ - we scored 90%

Academic Support

Q15. ‘How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?’ - we scored 92.8%
Q16. ‘How well have teaching staff supported your learning?’ - we scored 88.6%

Organisation and Management

Q17. ‘How well organised is your course?’ - we scored 87.1%
Q18. ‘How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?’ - we scored 88.4%

Teaching on my course

Q1. ‘How good are teaching staff at explaining things?’ - we scored 97.1%
Q2. ‘How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?’ - we scored 87.1%
Q3. ‘How often is the course intellectually stimulating?’ - we scored 92.9%
Q4. ‘How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?’ - we scored 91.4%

Student Voice

Q22. ‘To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?’ - we scored 98.6%
Q23. ‘To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?’ - we scored 89.2%
Q24. ‘How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?’ - we scored 62.7%

Assessment and Feedback

Q10. ‘How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?’ - we scored 76.5%
Q11. ‘How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?’ - we scored 81.2%
Q12. ‘How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?’ - we scored 75.2%
Q13. ‘How often have you received assessment feedback on time?’ - we scored 80.4%
Q14. ‘How often does feedback help you to improve your work?’ - we scored 55.9%

Professor James Chong, Head of the Department of Biology, said “It's always great to see the efforts of our staff being appreciated by our students, particularly around assessment and feedback, which can make a huge difference to degree outcomes.”

What is the National Student Survey

The NSS is a nationwide survey of final-year students in higher and further education. They answer questions on a variety of aspects of their university experience, including their department and course.

Almost 2,800 York students responded to the 2025 survey, helping prospective applicants to compare courses and make informed decisions about where to study. The survey empowers those taking part to shape the future of their course, giving universities honest feedback on what they are doing well and where they can improve.