Nottingham Trent University | Centre for Academic Development and Quality
CADQ Guide
NTU Student profile
T
rying to write a summary of the NTU student
population is always going to be something of
an exercise in oversimplification for there are
many tribes within the three campuses, nine
schools and hundreds of courses on offer.
Nonetheless, it is worth trying to take on a few
bald facts.
Keypoints


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21,698 UG student population
(2011)
UG population 53%
female(2011)
11% of UG mature students
(2011)
23% UG were from Black and
Minority Ethnic backgrounds
High employability rates
(94%UG & 97%PG, 2010-11
graduates*)
To paraphrase the writer Douglas Adams, NTU is

big. Really big. In 2011, NTU was the third
largest provider of undergraduate education in

the UK. It's always worth remembering that many
new students may be studying on courses larger
than their entire previous college. Coping with the
size of the institution can be a real challenge for
*Students graduating 2010/11
many. In the 2011 Annual Report there were 26,843 students studying at Nottingham Trent
University: 21,698 undergraduates, 4,585 postgraduate taught and 560 undertaking
postgraduate research.




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The same report also noted that around 1/3 of all students come from
Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands (we understand that this is relatively low for
a post-1992 university) and just over seven per cent of students were international
or from the EU.
Like most universities, there are more female students than males (53% of NTU
undergraduate students are female) although there are enormous variations within
the nine academic schools. For example 80% of students in Art & Design are female
whereas 77% of students in Architecture, Design & the Built Environment are male.
Eleven per cent of undergraduate students are mature students. It may be worth
noting that the average age of mature students has come down over the past few
years and many mature students are in their mid-20s, not 30s and 40s.
Six per cent of undergraduate students report that they have some form of disability,
most commonly dyslexia. This appears to be slightly lower than the national average
(The Equality Challenge Unit reports that 8.7% of all undergraduate students in the
UK reported having a disability, 2009-100).
Twenty three per cent of our students are from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME)
backgrounds. This is slightly higher than the national average (20.4% of all students
in England were from a BME background, Equality Challenge Unit 2009/10).
CADQ Guide: NTU student profile
Nottingham Trent University| www.ntu.ac.uk/cadq|Mar-13
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Nottingham Trent University | Centre for Academic Development and Quality
Is there anything distinctive about NTU students? Is there an NTU type? There might be,
but for every attempt we make to categorise them, you’re certain to find an exception.
Here are some possible clues
In October 2012, the NTU market research team surveyed new undergraduate students
asking them about why they chose to study here (862 first years responded). One survey
question asked students to list all the options that had influenced their decision to choose
NTU. Of the 29 options presented, the five most-frequently cited reasons were:
514 (67.1%) - Offers the course most relevant to my career aspirations
508 (66.3%) - Good Open day experience / impression
505 (65.9%) - Nottingham Trent University’s reputation
467 (61.0%) - Nottingham is an exciting City to live in
464 (60.6%) - Strong employability of Nottingham Trent University graduates
It’s perhaps interesting to note that even the most frequently-cited factor was only
mentioned by just over 2/3 of all students. We would suggest that this further reinforces
the heterogeneous nature of the student body.
As part of the HERE Project transition survey (Mar-May 2009) students were asked to
identify the focus of their priorities. As might be expected, students put their studies most
highly (73%), then social life (49%) and family third (46%). When asked how hard they
were working, 55% claimed to be working ‘hard’ or ‘very hard’.
In the 2012 National Student Survey (NSS), 83% of final year students reported that
overall they were satisfied with their NTU experience. The factors with the highest
satisfaction related to teaching staff’s enthusiasm, ability to explain things and accessibility.
Like other institutions, the questions about feedback received the poorest scores.
During the 2010/11academic year, around 6% of all students withdrew early from NTU
courses1, and as is the case across the sector, first year students were most likely to leave.
It’s also worth noting that more students may be repeating part or all of the year. HEFCE
sets the University a retention benchmark each year based on our demographic profile and
normally our retention is better than the target set. That said, there are often big variations
between courses and schools. Moreover, around 1/3 of all first year students surveyed in
both 2009 & 2011 for the HERE Project, reported that they had considered withdrawing
from their course at some point during the first year. Most frequently this was due to
concerns relating to the course, primarily about coping. Interestingly, males were less likely
to have doubts, but more likely to actually leave early.
And Socially
Nottingham is a large, vibrant student city; our students do choose to take part in the wide
variety of night life. Wednesday nights at the Ocean night club is the major fixture for our
clubs and societies. NTU has over 50 sports clubs and in the 2002-2003 academic year,
NTU finished 29th in the British University & Colleges rankings. In 2011-12, NTU came 21st
and at time of writing (part way through the 2012-13 year) were in 15th place. NTU alumni
1
Although there is considerable variation between academic schools
CADQ Guide: NTU student profile
Nottingham Trent University| www.ntu.ac.uk/cadq|Mar-13
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Nottingham Trent University | Centre for Academic Development and Quality
won a silver and bronze medal in the London 2012 Olympic Games and played a significant
role coaching and supporting athletes.
The Students’ Union co-ordinates almost 90 societies that offer a rich variety of cultural,
course-related, faith-based and philanthropic activities. There are active RAG and
volunteering groups and a strong student media: a newspaper, radio and TV stations. The
SU is led by student elected officers and the elections are pretty hotly contested in late
February and early March each year.
Graduate destinations
NTU has a good rate of graduate employment. In 2010-1, 94% of graduates from
undergraduate courses were in employment or had commenced further studies as had 97%
of postgraduates
CADQ Guide: NTU student profile
Nottingham Trent University| www.ntu.ac.uk/cadq|Mar-13
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