Two Welsh universities named among top in UK for lectures and nights out

Abbie Wightwick

26 April 2024 at 6:36 am·2-min read

The Cardiff University Student Union on Park Place -Credit:Google

Welsh universities have ranked in the top two UK-wide for lecturing and nights out in student-led awards. Cardiff University came second in the Students' Union award and Wrexham University was voted second for lecturing and teaching quality in the WhatUni Student Choice Awards.

The awards which rank the UK’s universities in a number of categories, according to students, were based on 35,000 verified student reviews from more than 240 higher education institutions across the UK.

Aberystwyth University came fifth for halls of residence while Cardiff Metropolitan University placed fifth for facilities. Wrexham scored highly in a number of categories. For the latest analysis of the biggest stories, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here

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As well as coming second UK-wide for lecturing and teaching quality, Wrexham came fourth for career prospects and fifth for student suppport. One student from Cardiff University told judges: “I think Cardiff is a great place to live and the student union is a great night out and a great place to study.” Support award-winning journalism with WalesOnline’s Premium app on Apple or Android

Some of the most popular themes mentioned by student reviewers include quality of feedback received from lecturers, how inspirational and passionate lecturers are, and the balance between theoretical and practical application. For halls the factor most valued by reviews were how modern facilities are, the helpfulness of residential staff, general comforts such as Wi-Fi, distance to campus, and how good the environment is for making friends.

For facilities, some of the factors most valued included well-equipped gyms, 24-hour and well-stocked libraries, facilities that work well and equipment and resources for specialist courses. For career prospects students wanted access to work placement opportunities, getting support with preparing CVs, access to summer internships, and help building their confidence for work skills like presentations.

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