Students at the University of the Sunshine Coast are among the most satisfied and engaged learners in the nation, according to new ratings in the annual Good Universities Guide.
Based on the latest graduate and student experience surveys, the 2023-24 Good Universities Guide has rated UniSC as Australia's number one public university for overall postgraduate student experience, and the second best nationwide for undergraduates. It is also Australia's highest rated public university for postgraduate teaching quality, skills development and student support.
UniSC maintained 13 national five-star ratings from 22 categories – and was awarded a new five-star rating for the proportion of undergraduate students who feel engaged with their learning.
Overall, students helped to rank UniSC as Queensland’s top public university for overall student educational experience, teaching quality, learner engagement, skills development, student support and learning resources.
Primary Education student Zoe Brennocks said she was not surprised by the high scores. “I love that UniSC offers such a mixed style of learning which allows for a wide variety of knowledge, skills and experience to be gained that can't be found in a textbook or journal article,” she said.
“Our academics know us by name and are willing to support us to reach success in every way possible. We are really acknowledged by the university as a person, rather than just another statistic.”
Our academics know us by name and are willing to support us to reach success in every way possible. We are really acknowledged by the university as a person, rather than just another statistic.”
UniSC excelled in the study area of Business and Management, rated Australia’s best for overall educational experience and teaching quality, for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. It also topped the nation in skills development for undergraduates studying business and management programs.
The University was rated number one in Australia for teaching quality in undergraduate health services, and postgraduate computing and information systems. In education and training programs, it rated the highest nationally for developing undergraduate skills and for engagement in learning by its postgraduate students.
UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Helen Bartlett said the results highlighted the University’s commitment to enhancing students’ experiences and supporting them to succeed.
“To have undergraduate and postgraduate students rate us so highly across so many categories reflects our focus on providing quality, hands-on learning experiences that challenge and support them to become creative and critical thinkers, ready to create better tomorrows for themselves, their local communities and the world beyond,” Professor Bartlett said.
“To be ranked top in Australia for overall postgraduate student experience and skills development is a remarkable achievement. And it is exciting to see our undergraduates join postgraduate students in giving us the highest possible satisfaction rating for learner engagement,” she said.
“We are exceptionally proud to be awarded five stars for the 18th year in a row based on students’ experience and satisfaction with the quality of teaching they received. This year, UniSC is in the top five nationally for its undergraduate teaching and ranks second in Australia for its excellence in postgraduate teaching.
“Equally as important as having our world class educators deliver a top rated education, is our unwavering belief in creating opportunity across our diverse regions from Moreton Bay to the Fraser Coast to inspire more people to achieve their ambitions through university.
“Overall, we are ranked as one of the top five Australian universities for the support we give our students. Across our five campuses we are expanding study pathways and helping people to become the first in their families to go to on to higher education.”
The Good Universities Guide creates annual performance rankings of Australian universities using a range of student and graduate educational experiences and outcomes measures, including the Federal Government’s Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT). To achieve a five-star rating in any category, an organisation must fall within the top 20 per cent across all Australian universities.
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