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The Department of Chemical Engineering has achieved outstanding results in the 2026 National Student Survey (NSS), with students recognising the department as one of the UK's leaders in Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering.

The is a crucial survey within Higher Education. It is run annually for final-year undergraduate students across the UK, and provides valuable insight into students' experiences of their university, and the wider student experience.

Across the seven core themes measured by the NSS (Teaching, Learning Opportunities, Assessment and Feedback, Academic Support, Organisation and Management, Learning Resources, Student Voice) the Department of Chemical Engineering performed exceptionally strong, achieving top-tier rankings in Teaching, Learning Opportunities, Student Voice and Learning Resources. The results reflect the department's continued commitment to delivering an outstanding educational experience whilst responding to student feedback and continually improving.  

One of the department's strongest performances came in the Learning Opportunities category, where students awarded a satisfaction score of 94.6%, placing the department third in the UK amongst comparable programmes.

Students also rated ‘Teaching on my course’ at 93.2%, ranking the department fifth nationally.

The department also performed strongly in Learning Resources (ranking 6th nationally) and Student Voice (7th nationally), while students awarded high scores for Academic Support (92.7%), Organisation and Management (88.5%) and Assessment and Feedback (82.9%).

These results reflect the dedication of our academic and professional services colleagues, as well as the close partnership we have with our students. Professor Jerry Heng Director of Undergraduate Studies

, Director of Undergraduate Studies, said: "The National Student Survey gives us valuable insight into our students' experience, so it's especially rewarding to see such positive feedback across every aspect of our undergraduate programme. These results reflect the dedication of our academic and professional services colleagues, as well as the close partnership we have with our students. Their feedback continues to shape the way we teach, support and develop our programmes."

Building on past successes

The results also demonstrated continued and ongoing improvement. Compared with last year, student satisfaction increased in every core NSS theme, including significant improvements in Learning Opportunities (+5.7 percentage points), Assessment and Feedback (+4.1), Teaching (+3.2) and Organisation and Management (+2.7).

The department also strengthened its national position across almost every category, climbing up the rankings in categories ‘Learning Opportunities’, ‘Teaching’, and Learning Resources’, as compared to places in 2025.

Students at the heart of the department

The survey also highlighted the department's strong partnership with its students, with a positivity score of almost 92% for students' views on how well their Students' Union represent their academic interests.

Crucially, students also gave a 95% positivity score for communication about mental wellbeing support services.

I'm grateful to everyone who has contributed to this achievement, particularly to our students, whose feedback underpins everything we do. Professor Omar Matar Head of Department, Chemical Engineering

, Head of Department, said: "These results reflect the culture we have built over several years - one that combines academic excellence with a genuine commitment to engaging with and listening to our student community. I'm grateful to everyone who has contributed to this achievement, particularly to our students, whose feedback underpins everything we do.”

The department will use insights from this year's NSS to build on its strengths and identify further opportunities to enhance the student experience. Student feedback will continue to play a central role in shaping the department's agenda, ensuring they meet the evolving needs of future chemical engineers.