Student satisfaction at Scotland’s colleges has risen for the third year in a row, according to data published today. 

The Scottish Funding Council’s latest report on student satisfaction (Link to SFC report) shows that more than nine out of ten college students were satisfied with their experience. 

The report shows that 95.2% and 93.0% of full-time further education and higher education students respectively said they were satisfied with their experience at college, with even higher satisfaction results for part time students - 96.7% for further education and 92.3% for higher education part-time students.

Gavin Donoghue, CEO of Colleges Scotland, welcomed the findings in the report. “These incredibly high, and rising, levels of student satisfaction at Scotland’s colleges are testament to the hard work of college staff who continue to deliver excellent learning and teaching,  while providing students a supportive environment. 

“The levels of satisfaction for part-time students, in particular, is especially pleasing, as these learners are often studying alongside other commitments like work and family life. 

“The research shows how much colleges help students to develop knowledge and skills for the workplace, which is vital for employers. Many college students go on to work in critical and highly-skilled industries like construction, health and social care, digital and hospitality, so it great to see the connection between learning and work is so strong. 
 
“Colleges are Scotland’s skills engines, and act as strong community anchors, with 24 colleges across the country educating over 200,000 students each year. It is vital that colleges receive sustainable investment to enable more students to access the world-class learning and teaching on offer in every part of Scotland.”

The Student Satisfaction and Engagement Survey for 2024/25 was carried out over an eight-week period between 3 March and 25 April 2025. 94,026 full-time and part-time college students were surveyed for the report.