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University of the Year Winners at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2018

We’ve spent the last few months talking to students up and down the country, and it all comes down to this…who did students vote into the top three for University of the Year?

Eleni Cashell
by Eleni Cashell
Last Updated:
02 May 2018

The Whatuni Student Choice Awards (or WUSCAs for short) are completely voted for by students. Our team have been chatting to thousands of students (over 36,440 to be exact), travelled over 34,000 miles to collect their opinions and star ratings and heard what the university experience is really like at the moment.

We’ve heard about fantastic universities that offer top-notch support and events, and listened to those who said the complete opposite, compiled the scores, and it all comes down to this.

 

 

So, who’s gone home with a shiny WUSCA award to put on their shelves?...

University of the Year Winner: Loughborough University

Loughborough University

 

Over the past two years Loughborough have been runners up in this category, but this time they get to take home the title.

Nominated in an incredible 11 categories this year, placing within the top three in eight of them, and going home with three WUSCA awards, Loughborough have clearly got some seriously happy students on their campus.

Students constantly praised the “community feel” that spreads across the campus, with many commenting on how homely and friendly it is. One of the university’s hashtags are #LboroFamily and it’s clear from the reviews that this sentiment is felt by students and staff alike.  

Reviewers also regularly complimented the practical course content and optional work placements, applauding both the high standard of teaching and career support they got throughout their studies, making them feel extra confident in their futures.

The beautiful 438-acre campus was also commonly mentioned by students, who loved having a “stunning” campus to study and relax on, and the students’ union building, which provides “fantastic” support during the day, and turns into a nightclub that holds 4,000 students at night.

After winning University of the Year, members of the Students' Union at Loughborough University had a message for the students who had rated them so highly in reviews. Take it away, Anna Holt, LSU's Education Executive Officer and Lumi Ojagbemi, LSU's Rag Executive Officer!

Other student comments include:

“I really do love it! It’s such a warm welcoming community and makes me feel like I really belong here and it’s my home, as well as my ideal study space. Can’t beat it.”

“Incredible! I have met loads of people, learned new things both of my course and about myself.”

“Very positive and well-rounded experience, good social and academic balance. Good facilities especially sporting & the students’ union could not be improved”
 

2nd Place: Harper Adams University

harper adams

Nominated in seven categories and taking home awards in three of them, Harper Adams University continues to impress their students.

One of the most used word in reviews from Harper Adams students is “community”, telling us that their university experience was “friendly”, “inclusive” and “really enjoyable”.

The university is very unique, with its own commercial farm over 550 hectares, something which student reviewers loved to shout about. Many loved the practical learning element, feeling more employable as a result of the skills they’d learnt and developed, as well as the industry contacts they’d made on placements. No surprise then that the university holds the joint second highest UK University graduate employment rate – at 98% – according to the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey and also won the job prospects WUSCA for the third year running this year.

The university was also rated gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework, and students couldn’t stop praising their lecturers, who brought “passion”, “enthusiasm” and “expertise” to their learning, which made engaging in the course content much easier.

With high star ratings across many categories, Harper Adams are clearly doing something right!

Other student comments include:

“Great. One big community where everyone knows everyone and all willing to help you get to where you wish to be. The placement year has been extremely useful in getting my foot in the door and experience that you can’t buy”

“Brilliant! I would recommend Harper Adams University to my friends and family as an amazing country university where everyone is a community and all are willing to work and enjoy themselves.”

“Brilliant (words cannot decide how good it has been). There is always support and people who know actually know you as a person not as a number. The student voice is always taken into opinion”
 

3rd Place: Bangor University

bangor university

Entering the top three in this category for the second year, nominated in nine categories and taking home two WUSCA awards this year, Bangor University have had some seriously good ratings from students once again this year.

Bangor University achieved a Gold Award for ‘outstanding teaching’ in the national Teaching Excellence Framework, and this is something backed up by student reviewers, who called their lecturers, “amazingly enthusiastic”, “passionate” and “approachable”

Reviewers also praised the levels of support at the university, from their student services centre and their peer guides, to students’ union and the study skills centre, students told us how well supported they felt, and how help was “incredibly accessible” and “easy to find”.

And with over 170 free societies to join, it’s no surprise that Bangor took home the Clubs & Societies WUSCA this year too, with 5-star ratings commonly seen on review forms in that particular category. Reviewers told us they loved how every interest was catered for, from the academic, to the social and the incredibly niche, and how easy it was to set up their own.

Other student comments include:

“Love it, I couldn't imagine getting on this well anywhere else. Bangor was the best choice I ever made. I have had some wonderful opportunities in societies and with course field trips and there is a great range of modules to choose from and all our lecturers are amazingly enthusiastic”

“My experience at Bangor University has been one that I'll never forget. With Clubs and Societies being free I have joined so many over my four years here and have made so many friends and amazing memories. The teaching staff in the School of Modern Languages have been second to none. The make a real effort to get to know everyone and adapt their style of teaching to carter for individual needs”

“I've loved my time at uni. Sad to leave the place. The lecturers have all been very supportive. Loved the course and everything about it”

 

To see the full list of rankings,check out our full table.

 

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