The Key Information Set (KIS) is a new collection of data relating to undergraduate courses that the government has requested universities to provide. It is a new requirement introduced from this academic year. They are designed to make it easier to compare official data across different courses. KIS information is available from the Unistats website, and should also be displayed with course information on university websites. The Unistats website is now live with the KIS data.

What's included in the KIS?

The data covers a wide range of areas:

• Student satisfaction - this section of the KIS data is based on the results of the National Student Survey. The survey is carried out annually and asks final year undergraduates to provide feedback on a number of different aspects of their course
• Employment and salary information - this is based on data from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education Survey (DLHE). Overall, Anglia Ruskin has one of the best employment rates in the East of England According to the most recent DLHE, 89.6% of our leavers were in work or further study (or both) 6 months after leaving Anglia Ruskin, compared to 88.2% across the UK as a whole. Also, 4 out 5 of our leavers entering employment are in Professional/Managerial occupations, as opposed to the UK average of 3 out of 5
• Fees and funding information
• Accommodation costs - these vary depending on which campus you are studying at and whether you live on or off campus
• Study information - this section shows you how much of your time you can expect to spend in lectures and seminars and how much should be spent in independent study. This will vary depending on the type of course you are studying. Some will require you to do a significant amount of reading, while others will require you to spend time in a laboratory or engaging in practical work

KIS data will change every year. The surveys that some of the data is based on are carried out annually, therefore results may change.

Incomplete KIS data

Some courses will not have a full set of KIS data - this is not a reflection on the quality of the course. There are several reasons why data may be incomplete. For instance, new courses may not yet have student satisfaction data from the NSS or employment data from the DLHE. Also, some courses may run with a small number of students, so there are not enough responses for data to be statistically meaningful.

What's not in the KIS?

Statistics can't tell you everything. The most important thing about choosing a university is that you are happy with your location and course.The best way to find out whether you like a place and would enjoy the course is to visit your chosen universities, look around the campus and the local area and speak to the lecturers teaching the course and to current students. Your family, friends and teachers may also be able to advise you about which universities and courses you should be considering.