Report shows increase in overall college student satisfaction

Photos: Forth Valley College, UHI Inverness, UHI Perth and West Lothian College

The results of the Scottish Funding Council’s annual survey of college student satisfaction and engagement are unveiled in a report published today.

The survey looks at the class of 2024-25 and includes full-time and part time students studying on both further and higher education courses. Across Scotland, over 43,700 students are represented in the findings.

Today’s figures show that overall satisfaction rates remain high, with nine out of ten full time students saying they were satisfied with their college experience.

That broad figure is the same as last year. However, the finer detail shows an increase in overall satisfaction across all levels and modes of study. Compared to last year’s results, this grew for both part-time students (+ 0.8 percentage points for further education and +3.1 percentage points for higher education) and full time students (+ 0.8 percentage points for further education and +4.8 percentage points for higher education.)

In line with last year’s findings, the results also showed strong recognition for efforts by college staff to encourage students to take responsibility for their own learning. Students also agreed strongly with the statement that their time at college had helped them develop knowledge and skills for the workplace.

Commenting on the results, the Scottish Funding Council’s Chief Operating Officer, Martin Boyle, said:

“It’s really important that our annual survey of student satisfaction and engagement continues to reflect the student voice and inform our work as Scotland’s tertiary education authority.

“In his recent report on Scotland’s colleges, the Auditor General referred to the high rate of student satisfaction in colleges. This latest report shows overall satisfaction has increased even more – a remarkable achievement for colleges at a time of pressure on public finances.

“It’s also great to see students recognising the value of their college studies in preparing them for eventual employment.”

The College Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey 2024-25 is now available on our website.