ShareSatisfaction of recent graduates 2018-2020
Since 2015, AQU Catalunya has carried out an annual satisfaction survey aimed at people who have just completed their university studies. This survey collects the opinions of bachelor’s degree and master's degree regarding their educational experience, offering a set of useful and essential indicators that can serve to improve the quality of Catalan university system degree programmes.
This website offers a summary of the second report on graduates' satisfaction organised by AQU Catalunya, which shows the results of the surveys sent to people who graduated between 2018 and 2021 from any of the seven public universities, the four private universities or the eleven centres that teach higher artistic studies in Catalonia. In the case of bachelor's degrees, the survey collected around 25,500 responses, accounting for 26.3% of all graduates. The figures for master's degree stood at 14,000 (23.7%) and ensure that the results of this study are solid and reliable.
Catalan university graduates' satisfaction (Bachelor’s degrees) [Catalan]
Catalan university graduates' satisfaction (Master’s degrees) [Catalan]
EUC data website: results of the graduate satisfaction survey by degree programme or sub-field, with aggregate data from the last four editions of the survey (2018-2021).
Whenever the sampling error allows, the data is published by degree programme and university. If this is not possible, it is done by the highest aggregation level that the sampling error allows: detailed sub-field, extended sub-field or field of knowledge (Humanities, Social Sciences, etc.). For more information, you can consult the AQU Catalunya degree programme catalogue.
Overall satisfaction with bachelor’s degrees and master's degrees
- In Catalonia, people who complete a bachelor's or master's degree rate their educational experience positively – a score of 7.2, two tenths more than in the previous report (2015-2017), and 7.0, respectively.
- By field of knowledge, the most satisfied graduates are those from the fields of Experimental Sciences and Health (7.6 and 7.5), while those who are least satisfied with the degree are those from the field of Engineering (7). In the case of master's degrees, the most satisfied graduates are those who studied Science (7.3) and Humanities (7.2).
- More than 70% of people with bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees would take the course again and they would also go back to the same university.
Satisfaction with the bachelor's and master's degree final projects and external work placements
- Bachelor’s and master’s degree programme graduates' satisfaction with their final degree projects rates positively in general, although it varies by discipline.
- External work placements are especially highly valued by people with a master's degree (7.4) and, in particular, people from the field of Experimental Sciences.
Satisfaction with the results of the education received
- Satisfaction with the improvement of communication, personal and professional skills is high in all types of degrees and in all fields of knowledge.
- There is room for improvement in the level of satisfaction with the acquisition and improvement of professional skills in Humanities bachelor's degrees, and in the improvement of communication skills in Engineering bachelor’s degrees.
Satisfaction with student support services
- Among bachelor’s degree graduates, satisfaction with student support indicators is high, although there is ample room for improvement in the complaints management system and in support and information services. It is worth highlighting the high score received by the virtual campus, the facilities and the library from graduates in Experimental Sciences.
Satisfaction with the teaching-learning process
- The master's degrees obtained high scores – especially in comparison with bachelor's degrees – in all the teaching-learning indicators. Even so, the organisational indicators of the educational programmes did not rate highly.
- With regard to bachelor's degrees, Science graduates believe that tutorials and assessment systems could be improved significantly. In the case of Engineering, graduates suggest that the volume of work, teaching staff, teaching methodology and tutoring could be greatly improved upon.
Strengths and weaknesses
Bachelor's degrees:
- Although it varies by disciplinary field, graduates in Catalonia give the communication, personal and professional skills they receive a good score.
- There is overall satisfaction with the virtual campus and the library. However, there is ample room for improvement in the management of complaints, the coordination of subjects and the assessment systems.
- It is worth highlighting the low satisfaction levels of Humanities graduates with external work placements and the ample room for improvement in Engineering bachelor's degrees in terms of the volume of work, tutoring and teaching methodology.
Master's degrees:
- In the case of master’s degrees, there is less variability by disciplinary field in the set of satisfaction indicators.
- Generally, all the indicators for master's degrees obtained scores higher than a pass. Compared to bachelor's degrees, special mention can be made of the high scores given to external work placements, the acquisition of professional skills and the information available on the website.
- The area with the greatest room for improvement is the organisation of educational programmes.
Is everyone satisfied with the university system in equal measure?
- With regard to bachelor's degrees, the university system obtains a better score among women than among men in terms of overall satisfaction. However, in 17% of the indicators analysed, men tend to give higher scores.
- In the case of master's degrees, there are no gender differences in overall satisfaction, but men tend to give more positive evaluations in one-tenth of the indicators. Meanwhile, people with a professional master's degree are less satisfied than other graduates.
Bachelor's degrees and master’s degrees are solid educational programmes
- The high score obtained by course plan structure and organisation – around 6.5 in the three types of degrees – shows that the assessment processes for the new study programme proposals are working (validation). The degrees can therefore be considered solid educational programmes.
Survey
Year of implementation
- Bachelor’s degrees: 2018, 2019 and 2020
- Master’s degrees: 2019 and 2020
Participating institutions
- Bachelor’s and master's degrees: UB, UAB, UPC, UPF, UdG, UdL, URV, UOC, UVic-UCC, UIC, UAO CEU and affiliated centres.
Reference and sample population
Survey | Population | Sample | Response rate | Sampling error |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degrees | 96,892 | 25,484 | 26.3 % | 0.53 % |
| Master's degrees | 59,161 | 14,018 | 23.7 % | 0.72 % |