National Student Survey (NSS)

Am I eligible to complete the NSS?

You are eligible to participate if you are in your final year of:

• A three or four-year undergraduate degree
• A Higher National Diploma (HND)

Some students may not be eligible, for example if they have recently started their course, are on a specialist programme, or do not meet the survey criteria.

How do I complete it?

You will receive an email invitation from Ipsos containing your personalised link on 1 February. You will also receive a text message on 5 February. 

You can also complete the survey during the above dates by visiting the NSS website.

What questions will I be asked?

The survey covers various aspects of your student experience, with questions sets divided into the following sections:

• Teaching
• Assessment and feedback
• Organisation and management
• Learning opportunities
• Learning community
• Student voice

You are encouraged to leave comments on any positive or negative aspects of your student experience.

View the NSS 2027 Questionnaire.pdf (list of the survey questions this year).

£50 prize draw

To thank you for your participation, you will be entered into a prize draw to win one of four £50 Amazon voucher prizes! 

Simply tick the box within the survey to opt into the draw.

Your survey responses are completely anonymous and are not linked to the prize draw entry. Winners will be randomly selected by Ipsos.

What happens to the results?

UHI will receive a full set of anonymised survey data in July/August 2027. The data will be analysed and shared with various committees to help shape improvements for the following academic year.

Any courses that perform below average in 'overall satisfaction' are required to develop an action plan to address concerns and enhance the learning experience. 

2025 NSS results

The NSS 2026 was completed by 502 final-year students across our undergraduate degree and HND courses, with a 68% response rate.

• These are strong results compared with previous years and the wider sector.
• Overall student satisfaction at UHI was 85%, down from 86% in 2025.
• This is above the Scottish sector average of 82%, up from 81% in 2025.
• UHI ranked 5th in Scotland for overall satisfaction, decrease from 4th in 2025.
• We scored at or above our benchmarks in all areas.
• Four subject areas received 100% overall satisfaction; psychology, materials and technology, complementary and alternative medicine and earth sciences. This is the same as last year.

Detailed NSS results are available on the Office for Students website.

NSS privacy notice

You may find the NSS privacy notice here and are encouraged to read it before completing the survey. 

Get in touch

If you have any questions, please email: surveys@uhi.ac.uk