Designing a Better Student Experience: 5 Considerations for Your University Campus

As student expectations evolve and competition intensifies across higher education, universities are under growing pressure to stand out. Beyond academic excellence, institutions are now expected to deliver a holistic experience – one that supports wellbeing, promotes sustainability, caters to a diverse student population, and keeps pace with digital habits.

While budgets are tight and priorities are many, universities that focus on the right areas can significantly enhance student satisfaction and retention. Below are five strategic priorities every institution should consider when planning for the future.

Elevate the Student Experience from Day One

Today’s students don’t just compare universities – they compare experiences. They’ve grown up with intuitive mobile apps, same and next-day delivery and frictionless service. When they arrive on campus, they expect the same level of ease, convenience, and personalisation in their university environment.

The 2025 HEPI Student Academic Experience Survey revealed that while student satisfaction has improved post-pandemic, only 37% of respondents felt their experience offered good or very good value for money.¹ And with tuition fees for undergraduate degrees on the rise, perceptions of value are increasingly shaped by the quality of the overall student experience, not just academic outcomes.

But what do students value most? According to recent research by Buro Happold, while gaining a qualification remains a top priority, students also want to grow as individuals and build the skills they need for future careers.² Opportunities for personal development – from work placements to extracurricular activities – are, therefore, increasingly important.³ Many also seek a sense of belonging and community, with social experiences outside the classroom playing an important role in shaping satisfaction.⁴

Beyond academic support, students are calling for more practical help in managing university life. This includes better transparency around study costs, on-campus job opportunities to ease financial pressures, and access to resources that support both academic and personal wellbeing.⁵ They also want universities to go beyond surveys and engage them more directly in shaping improvements around campus, creating a more responsive and student-centred environment.⁶

Universities that recognise these expectations and invest in services that make campus life more inclusive, efficient and student-focused will be best placed to thrive.

Embedding Wellbeing into Everyday Campus Life

The mental health of university students is a growing concern. According to a 2025 report by Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO), the proportion of UK undergraduate students reporting mental health difficulties has tripled since 2018, affecting approximately 300,000 students.⁷ LGBTQ+ students are particularly affected, with significantly higher rates of mental health challenges compared to their peers.⁸

Addressing student mental health isn’t just about offering care – it’s essential to helping students stay and succeed. Mental health challenges are a leading cause of student dropouts, particularly among those who feel unsupported or unable to access help in time.⁹ But while most institutions now offer counselling services, many are stretched thin. A 2024 study by Cibyl revealed that only 18% of students who accessed university mental health support found it sufficient for their needs.¹⁰

So what can institutions do? Expanding mental health provision is critical but so is embedding wellbeing throughout campus life. That might mean redesigning timetables to avoid back-to-back lectures, increasing the number of quiet or wellbeing-focused communal areas, training academic staff to spot early signs of distress, or investing in digital tools that offer 24/7 emotional support.

Importantly, universities need to create a culture where asking for help is encouraged – and where seeking support doesn’t feel like a last resort, but a normal part of student life.

Sustainability: A Non-Negotiable for Today’s Students

Climate action is a key priority for many students – and one that increasingly influences their university choices. Research by Shakespeare Martineau found that 79% of prospective students consider sustainability an important factor when choosing where to study, yet less than half (48%) of institutions believe it heavily shapes students’ decision-making.¹¹ That’s a significant disconnect.

Although expectations are rising, many universities are still working to translate sustainability commitments into everyday practice. While progress has been made – from increasing the use of renewables to cutting carbon emissions – Universities UK notes that embedding sustainability across all aspects of campus life remains a work in progress.¹²

Recent research from Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS-UK) highlights the scale of that expectation: over 80% of students want their institution to be doing more on sustainability, and 65% want more opportunities to learn about it.¹³ In other words, sustainability strategy is just the first step – students want to see environmental action woven into teaching, campus design and daily operations.

Smaller operational changes can send a strong message: streamlining campus logistics to reduce emissions, phasing out single-use plastics, and creating low-energy communal study spaces are all visible actions that signal genuine commitment.

It’s equally important to be transparent. Institutions that publish clear progress updates, involve students in sustainability initiatives, and demonstrate accountability tend to build stronger credibility and campus communities.

Supporting International Students Beyond the Basics

With international students representing 14% of undergraduates and more than half of all postgraduates, their contribution to UK higher education remains significant.¹⁴ But as the international education landscape becomes more competitive and changes to visa rules raise uncertainty, the student experience has never been more important to attracting and retaining talent.

According to the Office for Students, many international students face unique challenges when settling in, from understanding and accessing support services to navigating unfamiliar processes, such as housing or finance.¹⁵ Without the informal networks that domestic students often rely on, many may feel isolated during the early weeks of term, when a sense of belonging matters most.

One-off orientation events aren’t always enough. Meaningful, ongoing support might include peer mentoring, practical guidance on local services, and inclusive social or cultural spaces that help students feel part of the community. Even small points of confusion, such as unclear instructions on how to collect a parcel or set up a bank account, can quickly add to the pressures of adjusting to life in a new country.

When international students feel supported, they’re more likely to succeed, return for further study, and advocate for your institution – strengthening both reputation and campus diversity.

Rethinking Campus Logistics for a Digital Generation

Today’s Gen Z students have grown up in a world of instant access, from streaming and food delivery services to same and next-day delivery on their online shopping orders. Convenience is no longer a luxury – it’s an everyday expectation. And that expectation increasingly extends to how things work on campus, including the way parcels are delivered.

With student numbers on the rise, institutions handle a rising number of parcels arriving for students and staff every day. A university with 1,000 student beds might now handle 250 parcels a day, while larger sites can see as many as 1,000 deliveries daily – amounting to tens of thousands of packages each year.

For many institutions, this presents a logistical challenge – and the way universities handle deliveries also impacts student satisfaction. Long queues, missed deliveries or unclear pick-up procedures can quickly lead to frustration, especially for a generation used to smooth, app-based interactions.

Managing these day-to-day processes well makes a difference. Students want to feel confident that their deliveries will arrive safely, that collection will be straightforward, and that campus services reflect how they live and shop today.

A Practical Upgrade with Campus-Wide Benefits

From student satisfaction to sustainability, universities are navigating an increasingly complex set of priorities. But not every improvement requires large-scale transformation. Sometimes, small infrastructure upgrades can have a wide-reaching impact.

Parcel lockers are a good example. By offering a contact-free, flexible delivery and returns service on campus, lockers can:

• Enhance convenience for students through secure, 24/7 self-service access
• Reduce stress around missed deliveries or long collection queues in campus post rooms
• Support international students with a multilingual interface and clear, contact-free delivery processes
• Reduce last-mile emissions and vehicle traffic on campus by consolidating deliveries
• Free up valuable staff time and space for more strategic campus needs

By meeting the expectations of today’s digital-first students and reducing pressure on campus staff, lockers provide a simple, effective way to streamline daily operations.

In a competitive higher education landscape, practical details like this can have a meaningful impact on student satisfaction and operational success.

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Ready to help your students thrive in the new academic year? Speak with a Parcel Pending representative today to find out how we can help you lock in your package management solution ahead of the new academic year.

Sources

1. HEPI. Student Academic Experience Survey 2025. www.hepi.ac.uk. June 12, 2025.
2. Buro Happold. Student experience snapshot 2023: eight insights on what students value and how well colleges & universities are meeting their needs. www.burohappold.com. February 1, 2023.
3. Office for Students. Understanding the student interest. www.officeforstudents.org.uk. February 13, 2025.
4. Buro Happold. Student experience snapshot 2023: eight insights on what students value and how well colleges & universities are meeting their needs. www.burohappold.com. February 1, 2023.
5. Times Higher Education. What do students want from higher education? www.timeshighereducation.com. October 15, 2024.
6. Ibid.
7. TASO. New report | Student mental health in 2024: How the situation is changing for LGBTQ+ students. February 20, 2025. www.taso.org.uk.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Cibyl. Student Mental Health Study 2024. www.cibyl.groupgti.com. n/d.
11. Shakespeare Martineau. Institutions underestimate importance of sustainability for prospective students – new research reveals. May 23, 2024. www.shma.co.uk.
12. Universities UK. Climate crisis: what progress have universities made? October 1, 2024. www.universitiesuk.ac.uk.
13. Students Organising for Sustainability (SOS). Sustainability Skills Survey. n.d. www.sos-uk.org.
14. HESA. Higher Education Student Statistics: UK 2023/24 released. www.hesa.ac.uk. March 20, 2025.
15. Office for Students. Supporting international students. www.officeforstudents.org.uk. January 18, 2023.