Almost three-quarters of final year undergraduate students have said the maximum tuition fee rate of £9,000, to be introduced next year, is poor value for money.

The survey, which questioned students at 39 top institutions, discovered that 72 per cent of undergraduates believed the rise in tuition fees is too high when compared to the quality of education received. 22 per cent of students stated that the current tuition fee charges, which can reach up to £3,375, are already too great, The Telegraph reports.

The study, commissioned by the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference, which represents 250 top private schools, found that many students were critical of the quality of teaching at university, a lack of feedback and poor pastoral support.

In all, up to a third of undergraduates believed degree courses were failing to prepare them for their future careers.

Kenneth Durham, HMC Chairman and Headmaster of University College School in North London, said: “Universities are going to be charging people a reasonable amount of money for their tuition and there is very little evidence of what this extra money is going to pay for.”

52 per cent of those questioned as a part of the survey, said the teaching they were given at school was superior to that at university. This was more marked among privately educated pupils, with 61 per cent saying their school teaching was better, compared with 42 per cent of state school students.

Many students, particularly those from independent schools, said they felt that they had been slightly too ‘spoon-fed’ and that not enough had been done to allow for broader, independent, research based learning.

The study also stated: “Many felt that schools were very much preoccupied with training their students to just pass exams, instead of offering a broader learning experience.”

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by Victoria Bamber