Market research and the resulting insight can tell us what is happening, but we need insight to understand why it is happening, and crucially, what to do about it. We capture information with a variety of methodologies and can use it to help our colleagues and members understand more about the behaviours, attitudes and experiences of students. NUS know students. We can help aid understanding more about the why, not just the what!
NUS Insight support teams across the organisation. Here are some examples.
Cost of Living 2024
This research was carried out twice in 2022 and again in Spring 2024 to understand the impact the cost of living crisis is having on students studying and learning in the UK; the third phase of the research in April 2024 had over 6,500 responses and looked at finance, the cost of living and health and wellbeing.
The full report can be found here.
The Student Survey 2022
This research explores students’ experiences as we come out of the pandemic and return to a new normality, so we can continue to ensure NUS understand their needs, challenges and worries as they make their way through their studies. You can find handy, short infographics of each section of our report below:
The Full Report can be found here
TOTUM satisfaction survey
Each spring and autumn NUS Insight carry out the TOTUM Satisfaction Survey to help OneVoice Digital stay informed about how subscribers feel about the services they offer and any potential improvements to the product and its offers. The Insight team work with TOTUM to develop an online survey that we then send out to a sample of TOTUM subscribers. The Insight Team manage the entire process from methodology design, data collection, analysis, reporting and debriefing.
Coronavirus and students survey
This research was commissioned by NUS Charity, NUS UK and TOTUM to understand the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on students across the UK, exploring the initial concerns and challenges students faced in March 2020, with subsequent phases carried out in July, November, March and August 2021 as they made their way through the academic year. This survey was undertaken each term while the pandemic continued, providing valuable insight for NUS, students’ unions, the education sector and government on student experiences. These reports have informed NUS campaigns and institution approaches to support for students, as well as discussions with sector authorities and government. NUS Insight manages the whole process working with NUS staff and partners. You can find out more about these surveys and other studies in NUS and NUS Insight reports.
Brand Trackers Research
Each year we run three surveys looking at student behaviour and opinions about brands and service on campuses:
• Retail
• Drinks
• Food.
These are known as the Brand Tracker Surveys, and are an annual study on lifestyles, behaviours, purchase intentions and the competitive landscape for commercial services within retailing, food, to go, coffee, catering and licensed trade. The data collected enables NUS Trading Support to track changes in trends with product categories, as well as by product, and are part of the suite of information and data we use to inform planning, in particular stocking decisions and programme enhancements, developments and promotions. These trackers are also available to members as part of a suite of tools to help members to develop and plan strategic change within their commercial operations, and also in terms of advice and guidance around alcohol moderation. The results of these surveys are shared with members of the NUS purchasing consortium at the NUS Convention and Trade Show.
Big SU Survey
NUS Insight supports the Membership and Union Development teams in the delivery of their annual data collections of key student union information, under the banner of The Big SU Survey (previously known as the Students’ Union Survey and Membership Survey). These pieces of work are being adapted to better reflect the needs of members and will provide useful benchmarking data for students’ unions and NUS to measure their annual progress and performance.
The team also delivers work for selected public sector, not for profit and commercial clients interested in the views of students via our regular student opinion surveys and bespoke studies.
