National Student Survey shows strengths of Politics at York

Posted on 15 July 2025

York is ranked 4th in the Russell Group for 'Teaching on my course' among universities included for 'Politics' in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS).

The results of the 2025 National Student Survey have revealed the strengths of the Department of Politics and International Relations in ‘Teaching on my course’ and ‘Academic support’.

We placed 4th in the Russell Group for ‘Teaching on my course’ among universities included for Politics in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS).

Teaching on my course

Q1. ‘How good are teaching staff at explaining things?’ - we scored 97%
Q2. ‘How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?’ - we scored 90%
Q3. ‘How often is the course intellectually stimulating?’ - we scored 93%
Q4. ‘How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?’ - 82%

We placed =5th in the Russell Group for ‘Academic support’ among universities included for Politics in the 2025 National Student Survey (NSS).

Academic support

Q15. ‘How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?’ - we scored 92%
Q16. ‘How well have teaching staff supported your learning?’ - we scored 90%

We also scored highly in other areas. We placed 5th in the Russell Group for ‘Learning opportunities’ and ‘Student voice’.

Professor Tony Heron, Head of the Department of Politics and International Relations, said:

I'm delighted to see the hard work and dedication of all our staff and students recognised in the latest National Student Survey. To finish in the top five of the Russell Group in so many different categories is an amazing achievement. It shows that York really is among the very best institutions in the UK when it comes to studying Politics and International Relations.

What is the National Student Survey

The NSS is a nationwide survey of final-year students in higher and further education. They answer questions on a variety of aspects of their university experience, including their department and course.

Almost 2,800 York students responded to the 2025 survey, helping prospective applicants to compare courses and make informed decisions about where to study. The survey empowers those taking part to shape the future of their course, giving universities honest feedback on what they are doing well and where they can improve.