Research

Students Who Feel Understood by Their Institution Report Higher Levels of Satisfaction

• By Rhea Kelly
• 04/05/22

A recent survey from Qualtrics found that students who feel their institution understands what's important to them are significantly more satisfied with their college experiences. The experience management company polled 1,009 students currently enrolled in an associate or bachelor's degree program in the United States to find out how happy they are with various aspects of their higher education.

Overall, just 55% of respondents said that the education they're receiving is worth the cost of tuition. Yet among students who feel understood by their institution, the vast majority (87%) said they are satisfied with their overall college experience, compared to 45% for students who said their institution does not understand what's important to them.

Other findings for students who feel understood vs. misunderstood include:

• 89% are satisfied with their academic experience (vs. 48%);
• 67% are satisfied with their social experience (vs. 43%);
• 83% agree school leaders care about them (vs. 37%);
• 89% agree that they have opportunities to give feedback (vs. 39%); and
• 68% feel that their voice is heard when they give feedback (vs. 16%).

"To deliver the best possible experience for students, higher ed leaders must not only provide regular opportunities for feedback across channels, but also show they're listening and actually using that feedback to make tangible improvements across the student journey — institutionally and individually," said Omar Garriott, global head of education at Qualtrics, in a statement. "Our research shows that students' satisfaction is directly tied to feeling like they belong and that their voice is being heard. Opportunities abound for schools to continue to prioritize student experience and expand upon sentiment programs put in place during the pandemic."

Read more about the survey results on the Qualtrics blog.