National Student Survey shows strengths of Psychology at York

Posted on Monday 3 August 2026

We placed 2nd in the Russell Group for ‘Teaching On My Course’, ‘Assessment and Feedback’ and ‘Organisation and Management’ among universities included for molecular biology, biophysics, and biochemisrty in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS). 

Teaching on my course

1.  ‘How good are teaching staff at explaining things?’ - we scored 92.9%
2. ‘How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?’ - we scored 78.1%
3. ‘How often is the course intellectually stimulating?’ - we scored 93.0%
4. ‘How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?’ - we scored 76.3%

Assessment and feedback 

10. How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work? - We scored 70.2%
11. How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course? - We scored 74.3%
12. How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned? - We scored 73.7%
13. How often have you received assessment feedback on time? - We scored 83.2%
14. How often does feedback help you to improve your work? - We scored 55.8%

Organisation and management 

17. How well organised is your course? - We scored - 85.1%
18. How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated? - We scored 90.7%

We also placed 3rd in the Russell Group for ‘Student Voice’ among universities included for molecular biology, biophysics, and biochemisrty in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS). 

Student voice 

22. To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course? - We scored 92.9%
23. To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff? - 84.7%
24. How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on? - 69.6%
25. How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests? - 65.4%

We placed 4th in the Russell group for ‘Learning Opportunites’ and ‘Academic Support’ among universities included for molecular biology, biophysics, and biochemisrty in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS). 

Learning Opportunities 

5. To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth? - We scored 84.2%
6. How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned? - We scored 92.1%
7. To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics? - We scored 77.2%
8. To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study? - 64.0%
9. How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future? - We scored 83.3%

Academic Support

15. How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to? - We scored 92.9%

16. How well have teaching staff supported your learning? - We scored 86.7%

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.