The University of Essex Online continues to excel across key student experience measures in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS).
The results of the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS) conducted by the Office for Students (OfS) have been released, with the University of Essex Online continuing to build on a strong history of student satisfaction.
Reflecting on this year’s results, David Dixon, Academic Director, commented:
“The strong feedback from this year’s NSS reinforces the University of Essex Online’s commitment to excellent online education. It’s rewarding to see the exceptional results we’ve achieved, particularly around learning, support, and assessment and feedback – where we’ve often scored higher than the sector averages.
We’re focused on always putting our students first and taking their feedback on board. In fact, 92% of survey respondents said they felt free to share their views, opinions and beliefs. This proves our determination to create an open, welcoming and friendly community of students from across the world.
The NSS results have once again signified our place as a leader in 100% online higher education and we look to continuing to excellent student experiences for many years to come.”
Student voices behind the results
These results are reflected in the experiences of our students around the world. Explore our student and alumni stories to discover how our teaching, support and flexible learning environment have helped learners achieve their goals.
Results highlights
- 95% of students found it easy to contact teaching staff when they needed to, compared to 86% across the sector.
- 98% of students received assessment feedback on time.
- 90% of students felt they had the right opportunities to give feedback on their course, compared to 74% across the sector.
- 92% of students were positive about the University’s academic support.
- 9 in 10 students agreed their course gave them the right balance of directed and independent study.
Key measures of student satisfaction
The below table provides a breakdown of our scores for the majority of student satisfaction measures. To view this in greater detail, please visit the National Student Survey [Select provider: filter to ‘Kaplan Higher Education UK Limited’].
| 2026 Results | Sector Average | +/- | |
| Teaching on my course | 88% | 91% | 2% |
| Learning opportunities | 89% | 87% | 1% |
| Assessment and feedback | 90% | 90% | 2% |
| Academic support | 92% | 88% | 1% |
| Organisation and Management | 89% | 88% | 2% |
| Learning resources | 87% | 89% | 0% |
| Student voice | 79% | 71% | 1% |
| Students’ union | 85% | 83% | 1% |
| Mental wellbeing | 76% | 79% | 1% |
| Freedom of speech | 90% | 87% | 1% |
How does the NSS work?
The annual National Student Survey (NSS) captures the views of final-year students across the UK’s higher education sector, helping prospective students make informed choices about their studies.
We’d like to thank all University of Essex Online students who participated in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS). Your feedback has contributed to another strong set of results, reflecting our ongoing commitment to providing an outstanding student experience.
To find out more about our courses, download a prospectus. Or if you know you’d like to study with us, apply online today!