The 2019 Student Experience Survey (SES) of more than 263,000 students also confirmed the vast majority of undergraduates – 81 per cent – had a positive experience with teaching quality.

Student support continued to improve, with 74 per cent rating it positively, up from 53 per cent in 2012 – the first time it was surveyed.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said the SES was particularly valuable because it sought feedback from those who were best placed to know, the students themselves.

“While Australian universities have proven to be enduring institutions, they do not stand still. They are constantly innovating to engage new generations and new cohorts of students,” she said.

“This is an approach that continues to be appreciated by our students, as shown by their ongoing positive feedback in this survey.”

The SES, run by the Australian Government, is the only comprehensive survey of commencing and continuing higher education students in Australia.