Our strategy
Our University Strategy 2021-26 has four key components required for the University’s success: excellence in education, high-impact research, an outstanding and inclusive community and strong strategic partnerships.
Bath uses twelve strategic Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to measure progress towards our strategic goals.
| Driving excellence in education | Driving high-impact research | Outstanding and inclusive community | Enhancing strategic partnerships |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Student Survey (NSS) – Teaching on my course | Research grant income | Student continuation | Consultancy and research income |
| NSS – Assessment and feedback | % highly cited papers | Staff engagement index | QS world university ranking |
| Graduate outcomes | Research partnerships | % of female professors | Attendees at public events |
Our progress towards these strategic goals is summarised on this page.
With the current strategy in its fifth and final year, we have been setting our goals for the next five to ten years. The progress of the new strategy will be measured through a different set of KPIs from next year.
Driving excellence in education
NSS – Teaching on my course
Teaching scores remain above benchmark, with a slight increase in 2025.
This is a measure of the quality of Bath’s teaching and quantifies the proportion of students that positively respond to questions within the teaching on my course section of the National Student Survey (NSS).
NSS – Assessment & feedback
Whilst the assessment scores improved in 2025, they remain slightly below benchmark. This is as expected because the impact from the University’s improvement actions is unlikely to be fully visible for several years. As the only NSS section where Bath is not ahead of its benchmark, Assessment and feedback continues to be prioritised for improvement.
Graduate outcomes – progression to graduate-level employment or further study
Bath’s progression rate continues to be amongst the very best in the sector.
According to the Graduate Outcomes Survey, each of the last five graduating cohorts of first-degree students exceeded the benchmark by 3 or more percentage points.
Driving high-impact research
Income from research grants and contracts
The University has recorded a significant growth in research income over the last five years, growing by more than a third to £51m in 2024-25. Following a 13% year-on-year increase in 2023-24, Bath’s research income remained stable at £51m in 2024-25.
Percentage of papers that are highly-cited
The proportion of highly-cited papers has been declining for the UK HE sector and Bath’s decline has been in line with comparator institutions. Bath’s latest figures show a small increase, suggesting that its interventions are working.
Research partnerships
The Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF) measures research partnership levels as a combination of the cash contribution to collaborative research and co-authorship with non-academic partners.
Bath was in the top half of the sector in Knowledge Exchange Framework (KEF 5), published in September 2025, below its KEF 4 ranking. The decline was due to cash income from collaborative external partners not increasing as fast as public funding overall.
Fostering an outstanding and inclusive community
Continuation rate
Bath remains well above the benchmark and amongst the very best in the sector.
This is an important measure of how supportive the University’s learning environment is and will remain one of our strategic priorities.
Percentage of female professors
After several years of little change, Bath’s recent efforts have resulted in increased numbers of female professors, both in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Currently, nearly a quarter of the University’s professors are female, compared to 12% in 2012-13.
Diversity and inclusion are of utmost importance to Bath and will remain amongst our strategic goals.
Staff engagement index
Broadly in line with the same time last year, at 6.9 the University’s staff engagement index in February 2025, was only slightly below 7.0, Bath’s 3-year high.
This indicator is based on a set of questions from an internal work and well-being survey. Going forward, we will be changing both the survey method and the indicator to enable benchmarking.
Enhancing strategic partnerships
Income from consultancy and contract research
With nearly a 40% year-on-year growth, income from consultancy and contract research reached £7.9m in 2023-24. This was driven by a £1.7m increase in contract research (up 39% on 2022-23).
This is a key indicator of the strength of Bath’s strategic partnerships with business and industry.
QS World University Rankings
Bath’s overall position in the QS World University Rankings is seen as an important indicator of international peer recognition.
The University saw a significant improvement this year, reaching 132nd place, its highest-ever ranking.
Attendees at public events
The number of attendees at the University’s public events increased by nearly 150% in 2023-24. The increase has been driven by the diversification of our engagement, which included podcasts, videos and other media.
This is an important indicator of Bath’s strong contribution to the economic, social, environmental and cultural life of our city, region and nation.
