Read UNSW’s 2023 QILT Student Experience Survey results

Discover the key insights and strategic implications of the 2023 National Report for the QILT SES.

The 2023 National Report for the Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) Student Experience Survey (SES) has now been released.  

Conducted by the Social Research Centre on behalf of the federal Department of Education, the survey collected more than 13,000 responses, along with 8000 comments from UNSW students in September 2023. The findings offer valuable insights to help guide strategic decisions on enhancing the student experience at UNSW. 

The survey included a comprehensive set of attitudinal questions covering teaching quality, skill development, learner engagement, learning resources, support services and the overall structure of their degree or program. The results reveal both progress and areas for further improvement, highlighting a focused commitment across UNSW to adapt to students' evolving preferences, expectations and aspirations. 

For postgraduate coursework programs, UNSW ranks highest within the Group of Eight (Go8) universities for overall educational experience, reflecting strong progress in our commitment to enhancing the postgraduate student experience. For undergraduate programs, UNSW’s overall educational experience has improved since 2022, however we remain in the bottom percentile across the universities surveyed. 

Both undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts reported stable levels of satisfaction with teaching quality. 

Undergraduate outcomes 

Undergraduate satisfaction with the overall educational experience reached 72% – our highest score in five years. This improvement underscores ongoing efforts since 2019 to address student needs and elevate the undergraduate experience. Among quality indicators, peer engagement had the most significant increase, jumping 6.6% from 57% in 2022 to 64%.   

Postgraduate outcomes

Postgraduate satisfaction continues to strengthen, with an overall educational experience score of 78%, which is consistent across both domestic and international students. In terms of teaching, UNSW achieved an all-time high satisfaction rate of 80%. Five of the six quality indicators showed marked improvements, including teaching quality at 83%, learning resources at 89% and skill development at 80%. Peer engagement rose to 51%, while support services remained steady at 76%. 

These results highlight UNSW’s commitment to understanding and acting on student feedback as we work to enhance resources, support systems and educational quality. By conducting further analysis of the data set, we aim to identify emerging themes and key issues in student comments and will collaborate with student groups to implement meaningful changes based on the insights.  

More information 

For a detailed breakdown of the UNSW SES internal and National outcomes, to obtain a copy of the 2023 QILT SES National Report, or any further questions please contact surveys@unsw.edu.au.