Does location change business and management students’ experience?

Updated Apr 05, 2026

campus city locationbusiness and management

For business and management students, location is not just a backdrop. It shapes access to employers, commuting burden and the day-to-day reality of study. National Student Survey (NSS) feedback on campus city location, which captures how students describe the fit between university, city and daily study, is strongly positive overall at 68.0% positive, but the picture splits sharply: part-time learners record a sentiment index of −2.5, while full-time cohorts reach 70.0% positive.

Within business and management non-specific, the generalist CAH benchmark for this discipline, students still focus heavily on assessment clarity and delivery. Feedback accounts for 10.6% of comments and sentiment around marking criteria sits at −46.5, which suggests location matters most when it supports applied teaching, accessible support and strong industry engagement.

The character and setting of a university shape how business and management students learn, connect and prepare for work. Urban universities bring businesses, networking and live industry exposure closer to the classroom. Campuses in quieter locations can create tighter academic communities that support concentration, collaboration and easier access to staff.

When institutions understand those differences, they can turn location from background context into part of educational strategy. Regular analysis of student comments helps teams improve commuting, facilities and employer links before frustration hardens into poorer engagement or weaker outcomes.

How does campus setting shape the day-to-day experience for business students?

Students notice quickly whether location makes study easier or harder. City campuses often sit within business hubs, which can support employer contact, guest speakers and internships. Quieter locations can make it easier to focus, build cohort identity and reach staff when support is needed.

Because full-time cohorts are more positive about location than part-time students, providers should prioritise commuter-friendly practice. Audit evening and weekend access routes, transport links, parking, lighting and wayfinding. Provide concise commuter essentials in handbooks and induction. Ensure late-opening, secure study spaces are easy to find and use. Programme teams can then align timetabling, group work and assessment deadlines with these access patterns, a priority echoed in business studies students' views on scheduling and timetabling.

Engaging with campus life, using libraries and labs, and joining relevant societies helps students build a profile that extends beyond textbooks. Staff can strengthen that effect by designing modules that make better use of the city, the campus and nearby employers.

How does location influence international students’ perspectives?

International students often thrive in large cities with dense business and cultural networks, gaining exposure through events, workshops and seminars that link theory to industry. Quieter towns can offer a closer academic community that eases transition, reduces overwhelm and supports deeper study.

The practical challenge is not choosing one setting over another, it is helping students navigate that setting with confidence. Convene diverse student panels to review routes, transport hubs and city spaces. Make reporting channels visible, and close the loop with "you said, we did" updates on location-related issues.

Which facilities most enhance learning and wellbeing?

The facilities that matter most are the ones that make study easier and campus life more usable. Reliable lecture capture, well-resourced libraries and high-quality study spaces support learning directly. Cafes, green areas, sports centres and societies support wellbeing, belonging and personal development.

For location-sensitive orientation, create a standard pack each school can localise: 10-minute walk maps, safe routes between teaching sites, and cost and time comparisons for travel modes. Co-locate careers advice with business societies and visiting industry events, following the same principle discussed in career guidance and support for business studies students, so physical proximity turns into practical opportunity.

How are teaching and learning models evolving across different locations?

Blended delivery now underpins business and management teaching across many settings. City campuses can bring live business data, visiting practitioners and local employers into case work. Smaller sites can lean into coached group projects, extended mentored tasks and easier staff access.

Assessment clarity is especially important in this CAH area, so location strategy should support pedagogy rather than sit beside it. Publish annotated exemplars, checklist-style rubrics and brief how to improve notes aligned to marking criteria, drawing on the same feedback improvements business and management students ask for. Calibrate markers and communicate turnaround standards clearly. Where collaboration creates friction, standardise group formation, role clarity and contribution tracking, and make the purpose of interaction explicit in each assessment brief. Operationally, maintain a single source of truth for timetable changes and use predictable update rhythms so commuting students can plan effectively. Remote learning remains a valuable complement and can improve inclusion for off-campus students.

What did COVID-19 change about location and delivery?

Pandemic disruption accelerated online delivery and temporarily flattened some location effects. As on-campus activity has returned, cities have regained advantages through employer proximity and live projects, while smaller campuses have rebuilt community through targeted in-person activity and visible staff presence. The lesson is not to abandon flexibility, but to invest in delivery models that preserve industry access and cohort belonging regardless of setting.

What support systems work best in different locations?

Support systems work best when students can see them, reach them and trust them. In cities, support often extends through partnerships, placements and employer-led sessions. In quieter towns, students may benefit more from ready access to academic support and personalised guidance.

Make Personal Tutor practice in business studies consistent and visible so students know what help is available and when to use it. Use student feedback to refine mentoring and signposting, and make sure wellbeing, careers and academic skills are woven into programme handbooks and module sites rather than left as separate services.

What should institutions prioritise next?

Institutions should prioritise commuter-aware design for part-time and mature cohorts, orientation that makes the city or campus easier to use, and assessment transparency that reduces confusion around criteria and feedback. They should also tie location to pedagogy: design group work that works for commuters, maintain stable timetabling, and use facilities and employer links to make learning feel applied. This is how institutions turn the strengths of each setting into a better student experience.

How Student Voice Analytics helps you

• Track campus city/location topics and sentiment over time and by segment, including mode, age, ethnicity, subject area and site.
• Drill from provider level to schools and programmes; export concise, anonymised summaries for quick briefings.
• Make like-for-like comparisons across CAH codes and demographics; segment by cohort or campus to target local improvements.
• Share export-ready tables and charts with programme and professional services teams to sustain action on assessment clarity, collaboration design and commuter experience.

See how Student Voice Analytics helps universities pinpoint location-related friction, compare cohorts and act on the feedback that matters most.

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