UK universities improve ‘first impression’ rating, new research shows

Universities in the UK are among the best in the world at responding to enquiries from prospective students, providing faster and better-quality responses in 2024 than in previous years. The results – which come against a backdrop of recruitment pressures – are based on Edified’s annual mystery shopping study, which assesses universities across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Canada, and the US.

The 2024 Enquiry Experience Tracker report, published today, shows that scores for UK universities have increased by 15% compared to 2023. Globally, scores have risen for the first time in two years, largely driven by improvements from UK and Australian institutions – with the latter seeing the largest rise in overall scores, at 18%.

The study, developed in partnership with UniQuest, sees international student mystery shoppers enquiring to and assessing over 100 institutions worldwide on criteria like responsiveness, relevance, and personalisation.

UK and Australian institutions were the most responsive to prospective student enquiries, answering almost nine in 10 enquiries – up from eight in 10 in 2023. This level of responsiveness suggests a sharpened focus by universities on their lead pipelines.

UK universities also saw a significant improvement in follow-up rates, with one in four prospects receiving further communications, up from one in six last year. Conversion rates are evidently top of mind, as institutions work to keep prospects engaged and win them over to become enrolled students.

Australia tops the global leader board, ousting Scotland from the top spot for enquiry experience. An impressive 86% of Australian institutions scored above the global average, up from 67% in 2023.

Australian and New Zealand universities stood out for delivering the most relevant and persuasive responses, sharing compelling content in half of their communications compared to just one in six from US or European universities.

Meanwhile, the average overall score for Canadian colleges and universities declined by 1% year-on-year. Response rates remain static and, like 2023, one in three students reported having a negative experience enquiring to Canadian institutions.

Mystery shopping took place from April to June, a turbulent time for global education, with tighter immigration policies and falling enrolments. The 2024 study covered 102 institutions across the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Canada, and the US. The results show improvements in many institutions’ enquiry services and highlight the competitive edge for those delivering excellence.

Elissa Newall, Partner at Edified and Project Director of the Enquiry Experience Tracker, emphasises:

“It’s exciting to see universities using the Enquiry Experience Tracker to refine their lead management practices. Some are transforming into real conversion powerhouses. In tough times, those that make students feel valued and keep them engaged gain a major recruitment advantage.”

Jennifer Parsons, Chief Market and Partnerships Officer at UniQuest, adds:

“With so much uncertainty around immigration policies, students are understandably anxious. Proactive, ongoing engagement has been crucial in calming these fears, and our data shows that students who experience this are three times more likely to enrol.”

Notably, the University of Edinburgh was recognised as the most improved, with a 50% rise in its score since 2022. Katrina Castle, Deputy Director (Admissions and Applicant Experience) in Student Recruitment and Admissions, says:

“We are delighted that the hard work of diverse teams from across the University of Edinburgh, including Enquiry Management, admissions and recruitment colleagues, alongside our student ambassadors, has been recognised by Edified. We have taken part in the Enquiry Experience Tracker over the last three years, and it’s extremely gratifying to see how our teams have responded to previous feedback, and collaborated to improve the experience we offer prospective students and applicants.”