HEQCO report explores factors influencing grad students' satisfaction

Using data from the 2007 and 2010 Canadian Graduate and Professional Student Survey, a new HEQCO report explores what influences graduate students' satisfaction with various aspects of their educational experience. The report found that grad students who were male; lived on campus; married, with children; of Black or Latin American visible minority status; received financial support in the form of scholarship/fellowship/bursary; or enrolled in Health Science or Business/Management were, in general, the most satisfied. Students who were the least satisfied were Asian or of mixed origin; with more than $10,000 in educational debt; had an employment income; received financial support through loans/savings/family assistance; or stayed longer in their programs. Compared to domestic students, international student were, in general, more satisfied with their student life and faculty supervisors, but less likely to choose the same institution if they were to start over. While PhD students' satisfaction levels have dropped slightly, the study observed greater satisfaction with the quality of professional skills development they received in 2010 compared to 2007. Research Summary | Full Report