Universities say WA is the best place to study engineering

October 01, 2012

The top New South Wales universities for educational experience are regional universities, according to The Good Universities Guide 2013.

The University of Wollongong and the University of New England achieved the highest educational experience ratings in the state, with graduates rating their ‘Teaching Quality’, ‘Generic Skills’ and ‘Overall Satisfaction’ highly. This begs the question: do regional universities provide their students with a better learning experience?

UOW’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Wellings, believes that the university’s regional location — along with its active campus community, academic support and social activities — has contributed to its five-star educational experience ratings.

‘We have a particularly strong connection with the local Illawarra community and industry. UOW is a very important hub to the lifestyle and existence of the community, bringing a variety of benefits such as work opportunities and a vibrant, engaged population that care about the community,’ said Professor Wellings.

He said that the lower cost of living, easier transport and the strong sense of community, ‘where people genuinely know your name’, are just some of the reasons why students might consider a university outside the metropolitan area.

UNE’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jim Barber, attributes the university’s five-star ‘Teaching Quality’ and ‘Overall Satisfaction’ ratings to the university’s focus on making personal connections with students based at the university’s regional Armidale campus, as well as the 80 per cent of students who study externally.

‘Our on-campus students, many of whom live in our residential colleges, enjoy small class sizes and ease of access to their teachers,’ said Professor Barber.

The metropolitan-based Group of Eight universities did not fare as well in the Guide’s educational experience ratings, with the University of New South Wales earning two stars and the University of Sydney rating one star for ‘Teaching Quality’, despite top ratings in other categories such as ‘Research Intensivity’ and ‘Graduate Starting Salary’.

These lower educational experience ratings do not deter the country’s best and brightest students, with both universities’ five-star ‘Student Demand’ ratings cementing them as institutions of choice among high-ATAR achievers.

A spokesperson from UNSW reported that the university’s annual student surveys indicate that the majority of students are satisfied with the teaching and the quality of the university’s courses.

‘There is no doubt that high-achieving students do have high expectations: the fact that we consistently achieve five-star rankings for graduate starting salaries, employment prospects and overall positive graduate outcomes shows that we are delivering on those expectations,’ the university commented.