The 2026 National Student Survey (NSS) is now open. It went live yesterday (Wednesday, 7 January) and will run until Thursday, 30 April.
The NSS gives students the chance to provide honest feedback on their university experience. It is anonymous and confidential, so students can be as frank in their answers as they like.
This year, nearly 28,000 OU students have been invited to take part in the NSS. We need at least 50% of our cohort to take part. so that we can publish our NSS results when they become available in the summer. This is important because our NSS results influence prospective students in their decision to study at the OU (or not).
So if you have been invited to take part in the survey, please do complete it below:
Take part in the 2026 National Student Survey
- If you complete the survey in the first four weeks (by Friday, 6 February), you will receive a £5 Love2Shop e-voucher.
- Respondents can also choose to enter an Ipsos prize draw, for the chance to win a selection of prizes up to £500.
What is done with your feedback
The survey is a vital benchmark for the OU, showing how the OU compare with other universities, what is being done well and where improvements may be needed. This feedback is then used to make improvements to teaching, assessment and the whole student experience.
At Open SU, we look at the NSS feedback on this question – 'How well does the Students' Union (Association or Guild) represent students' academic interests?'. This helps us to enhance the ways in which we listen and communicate with students about how we represent their interests.
You can watch a video below (from the OU) on the feedback received from the 2025 survey (and the changes made as a result).
Feedback from last year's National Student Survey
If you've got any questions about the National Student Survey, please email national-student-survey-coordinator@open.ac.uk.