The serial data shows the positive impact of these enhancements on student experience. In all four studies, students’ top favourite thing about the campus is its compactness.

“So compact and small – like a tiny pocket in this huge city – safe and secure.”  

“The concentration – everything’s nearby. It’s a small neighbourhood in central London.”

“All the buildings are easy to get to.”

And in the first three studies, students’ next favourite thing was LSE’s location.

“Obviously – it’s in Holborn – it can’t get better than this. London in London!”

But the latest research shows that by 2023 the ambitious programme of campus development was being appreciated – students’ second favourite thing collated as ‘Architecture and design’, with ‘Range and choice of settings’ next. This evidences the step change in students’ assessment of campus provisions as intrinsically effective, now exceeding the appeal of LSE’s valued location. 

As well as in their words, students’ appreciation of the campus improvements shows in their changed ratings.  When questions on high level effects of campus quality were introduced in 2015, just one aspect emerged as a Major Success. Following a more positive swing in 2019, the 2023 result was dramatic, with all but one of an expanded range of campus effects evaluated as Major Successes. This is more even more notable given LSE’s growing student numbers.

And the remaining campus effect – A stimulating + inspiring place to work, learn + play – was evaluated as a Success (80%+ ratings Positive or OK), but with notably more Positives than OKs compared to 2019.

The new campus buildings play a significant role in this positive trajectory, and since 2011 students’ favourite campus buildings have been the newest ones. In 2019, the then recently opened Centre Building was students’ favourite building by a long way – liked for its daylight, views, and choice of study settings. In 2023 Centre Building maintained this lead, now sharing it with Marshall Building – liked for its architecture, atmosphere, and facilities. But the data shows it’s not just ‘newness’ that counts; it’s also quality. CKK first opened in 2008, and liked for its look, feel, and ethos, it remains prominent in citations of students’ favourite buildings. And the choice that’s now available between buildings of different character is another positive. 

Having good infrastructure is fundamental to campus quality, but how it’s managed is also crucial to users’ experience, and the research shows notably progressive stewardship. In 2011, students’ worst thing about the campus collated as ‘Standards: design, condition, maintenance, and cleanliness’. The two subsequent studies showed incremental improvement. 

Then in 2023, students’ evaluation all aspects of campus management as Major Successes reflected the comprehensive strides in campus care that make a difference to users – cleaning, maintenance, opening hours, security, waste, environmental practice, and containing the impact of construction work.

Inevitably, LSE’s newer buildings lack the limitations of older campus infrastructure, but all the School's buildings are vital to effective operation, and Estates look to even out quality. This includes a key programme to enhance teaching rooms in older buildings that has been positively evaluated. 

The main Library has featured strongly throughout. While the 2011 data showed student frustration with its busyness and facilities, considerable refit work since has added capacity and delivered other improvements. This is reflected in the data for 2019 and 2023 which shows the Library’s continuing appeal, despite the wider choice of study setting now available in LSE’s new buildings.