WhatUni Student Choice Awards 2024: Celebrating Excellence in Higher Education

The results are in! The prestigious Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs) 2024, compiled by IDP Connect, were announced at this year's ceremony in London on 24th April in a night of celebration of the higher education sector, hosted by Sir Lenny Henry CBE.

The Whatuni Student Choice Awards winners are decided by student reviews which are collected by teams on campus in the run-up to the awards ceremony - and this year saw over 35,000 verified student reviews generated.

In fantastic news for the region, nationally the University of Sheffield scooped University of the Year prize.

The Whatuni Student Choice Awards showcase the commitment of universities and colleges across the UK but also locally Yorkshire and the Humber in providing exceptional teaching, facilities, and overall student experience. Through the collective voice of students, these awards celebrate institutions that go above-and-beyond in shaping the educational journey of their students.

We are thrilled to announce the highest performing winning universities for the Yorkshire and the Humber area in this year's Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2024 are:

- Student Union: The University of Sheffield (1st nationally)

- Student Life: The University of Sheffield (1st nationally)

- International: York St John University (5th nationally)

A student from The University of Sheffield praised their institution, saying:

"The University of Sheffield is quite a diverse uni, in the sense that there are so many international students which I think it's great as it means you have the opportunity to meet new people and learn more from different cultures first hand. There are a lot of opportunities offered within and outside of the university and all of the staff are very friendly and willing to offer their guidance and advice. The SU is genuinely great!"

In the UK-wide categories, The University of Sheffield won the Student Life award and the Student Union award.

Simon Emmett, CEO of IDP Connect, commenting on this year's WUSCAs said:

"This year's WUSCAs are a celebration of the extraordinary efforts that institutions put into making student experiences exceptional. I'm honoured to work in the higher education sector and delighted to see significant increases in student satisfaction for both domestic and international students, despite some of the negative press coverage we've seen lately.

"I encourage the sector to share this remarkable success with their institutions, prospective students, and stakeholders to help strengthen confidence in the higher education student experience. Thank you to all institutions that participated in WUSCAs 2024 for believing in the power and importance of the student voice and huge congratulations to all this year's winners."

The prestigious submission award, focussed on Career Coaching and Work Placements, was won by the University of Suffolk. Being ‘work ready' once finishing a degree is a top priority for undergraduates and this award recognises those institutions who have gone above-and-beyond to ensure their students are acquiring the skills, knowledge and practical experience they need to enter the workforce with a competitive edge. This award was judged in person in London earlier this year by a student panel.

Suffolk was highlighted for one of the judges and second year student from Norland College, Samuel Stephens, said:

"Suffolk was very strong and gave a load of evidence which showed they were doing everything they could do to support those students and to make sure they had the best career prospects possible. They really stood out, not just to me, but to everyone on the panel."