Data drawn from a large survey of 145,000 students conducted in 2015 has revealed that Australia’s unhappiest tertiary students call Melbourne home.
The new findings released by the federal government on Tuesday showed that both Victoria University and La Trobe University ranked the lowest in student satisfaction, with only three-quarters of the student body positively rating their experience.
Meanwhile, the happiest students can be found in the sunshine state; more than 90 per cent of students at Bond University were pleased with their overall experience.
The survey considered a range of factors including teaching quality, learner engagement, learning resources, student support and skills development.
The data also ranked the earnings of Victorian university graduates, and the level of difficulty faced in gaining employment after graduation.
Surprisingly, those who ranked the highest did not attend the most prestigious tertiary institutions, but were instead enrolled at the Australian Catholic University (ACU).
While graduates from the University of Melbourne and Monash had a median starting salary of $55,000, ACU students were revealed to be earning at least $600 more.
Within just four months of graduating, 72.4 per cent of ACU graduates were able to find full-time work, compared to 66.7 per cent of Melbourne Uni students.
The availability of such data is a first for Australian students, who will henceforth be able to compare their experiences with those at other universities, TAFEs and private colleges around the country.
According to Federal Education Minister Simon Birmingham, the data was released as part of an initiative for greater transparency around the higher education experience.
“I’ve asked the Higher Education Standards Panel to consult on the best ways we can ensure students are ‘uni-ready’ and can make informed choices about their studies,” he told The Age.
While some of the numbers weren’t great, in comparison to countries abroad, the minister said students Down Under were generally satisfied, which is thanks to a world-class education system.
In defence of the poor response by students at La Trobe, a spokesman from the institution said that the survey was conducted during a turbulent time, when a restructure saw more than 300 staff leave.
“We are confident those figures will rebound,” he said. “Current students here are having a very positive experience.
For more information on the Student Experience Survey (SES), visit www.qilt.edu.au/about-this-site/student-experience-survey-(ses)