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Student Satisfaction, League Tables and University Applications

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  • Stephen Gibbons
  • Eric Neumayer
  • Richard Perkins

Abstract

We investigate the impact of information about student satisfaction on university choice, using data from the UK's National Student Survey (NSS) and on applications to undergraduate degree courses. We show that the NSS has a small, statistically significant effect on applications at the university-subject level. This effect operates primarily through the influence of the NSS scores on a university's position in separately published, subject-specific, league tables, implying greater salience of league table rankings. The impact of rankings is greater amongst the most able students, for universities with entry standards in the upper-middle tier, and for subject-departments facing more competition.

Suggested Citation

  • Stephen Gibbons & Eric Neumayer & Richard Perkins, 2013. "Student Satisfaction, League Tables and University Applications," SERC Discussion Papers 0142, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    • Handle: RePEc:cep:sercdp:0142
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    2. Mira Fischer & Patrick Kampkötter, 2017. "Effects of German Universities' Excellence Initiative on Ability Sorting of Students and Perceptions of Educational Quality," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 173(4), pages 662-687, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Student satisfaction; higher education; information; university choice;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I2 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education
    • D8 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty

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