Higher Education
Helping you reach your potential
Ipsos MORI's Higher Education research team delivers research which meets the challenges of the global higher education market. Students and researchers choose universities based on a host of practical and academic considerations, not least perceptions of value for money. As fees increase and the labour market across the world becomes more mobile, there is a sharp focus on the value of higher education and of the qualifications it offers. As a result, institutions, funding bodies, students, parents, policy makers, industry stakeholders and other local, national and international stakeholders all need effective research to identify and understand the important criteria for success, and to measure and track performance.
We have extensive experience in working with stakeholder groups across the world, including institutions, prospective and current students, graduates, academics, heads of industry and employers. Our clients include every University and College (higher education institution) in the UK, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the National Union of Students (NUS), the Higher Education Academy, the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), and UCAS.
We are experts in carrying out the full range of quantitative and qualitative research and data reviews/desk research across a range of research methods. Our global network means that we can coordinate in-depth research around the world. We offer:
- Student surveys
- Employer surveys
- Consolidation of institutions student surveys
- Branding and reputation consultancy for institutions both in the UK and overseas
- Market sizing
- Communications reviews.
Ipsos MORI's gold standard higher education research project is the (NSS), which we have conducted annually since 2005 on behalf of HEFCE (Higher Education Funding Council for England) and key partners. The NSS is an opportunity for students in their final year of a course leading to undergraduate credits or qualifications across the UK to give feedback on their academic experience. The results are:
- Published on Unistats to help future students make informed choices about the courses that best suit their needs and interests
- Made available to the participating universities, colleges and students’ unions to help facilitate best practice and enhance the student learning experience.
The NSS is a complex survey which employs a mixed methodology approach of online, postal and telephone methods to achieve a final response rate of at least 50% from the 350,000 or so students eligible each year.
The fieldwork for the 2009 NSS has now closed, with the data scheduled for publication in the autumn. In the meantime, data from the previous years of the survey can be found on HEFCE’s website.