As results day approaches, new Whatuni survey points students to practical questions to help them choose with confidence
LONDON, UK. July 15th, 2026 – New research has uncovered a lack of knowledge around living costs from current university students, with many saying they wish they had known more about the cost before choosing their university.
Capturing the views of more than 1,200 current students at UK universities, Real Voices, Real Choices, a survey conducted by Whatuni, explores the questions students wished they had asked when applying to university, while accepting a place and for preparing to start their studies.
While living costs are identified by 56 per cent of respondents as the primary knowledge gap before starting at university, other major areas where students want more clarity included loans, debt and budgeting (identified by 49 per cent); job prospects, career planning, internships and industry experience (identified by 48 per cent); the value of the investment in a degree (identified by 47 per cent); and module content, assessment methods and workload, also identified by 47 per cent.
Real Voices, Real Choices comes as UCAS Clearing opens this month (July 2026) and students prepare for Qualifications Scotland results day on 4 August 2026 and A-level results day on 13 August 2026. Many will be confirming places, reconsidering options or making fast choices about where to study.
However, confirming a university place does not mean that students feel fully prepared for what comes next. More than half of the students surveyed (54 per cent), say that the most stressful point in the wider university journey is the period between making their final university choice and attending enrolment. A further 32 per cent say that the first days of starting university are the most stressful, while 15.5 per cent say that the initial process of researching university options has been the most challenging.
Simon Emmett, UK CEO of IDP Education, which operates Whatuni, said: “The findings show that students need far more than course information and available places. They are looking for clear, practical answers from people who have already been through the university experience: what university will cost, how their studies will feel, how they will make friends, what support is available and how their choice connects to future careers. For universities, the survey also highlights where clearer, earlier guidance could help students to feel more prepared and confident as they move from application and Clearing into university life.”
The top five areas students wish they had been better prepared for before university were:
- Money and affordability.
- Developing independence and personal responsibility.
- Building new connections, making friends and feeling a sense of belonging.
- Understanding course expectations, assessment and workload.
- Career planning, outcomes and developing the skills and attributes for employability.
The survey also shows that the questions students most want answers to change across the journey: from offers, choice and future options during application, to budgeting, accommodation and next steps after accepting a place, and then friendships, independence and navigating a new environment in the early weeks of first year.
When asked how they prefer to learn about higher education opportunities and university life, students say they want to hear from those with direct prior experience, including current students, student ambassadors and alumni.
The aim of Real Voices, Real Choices is to turn current students’ experiences into practical guidance for the next cohort of future students. By helping applicants to ask better questions before accepting a place, Whatuni wants students to feel more informed, more confident, and more in control of their university choices.
Simon Emmett added: “These findings highlight the importance of the real student voice during Clearing and results season. Students making big decisions want to understand what university life is really like, beyond official course information and institutional marketing.
“Clearing is often treated as the end of the application process but for students it can be the beginning of a whole new set of questions. Our survey shows that students want clearer answers on the realities of university life, from living costs and workload to making friends, finding support and understanding where their choice could take them.
“What makes Whatuni different is that we help students to make those decisions through genuine student experiences. Real Voices, Real Choices brings together the questions that current students wish they had asked sooner and the lessons that they have drawn from realising the gaps in knowledge and the challenges in various stages of their experiences.
“When decisions move so quickly, preparing better questions can give students more confidence, more control and a stronger start at university. The message from current students is clear: ask these questions earlier.”
Students and families can visit Whatuni to find practical tools and guidance shaped by real student experience. This includes the Student Cost of Living Calculator, which helps students understand likely living costs, alongside student reviews, student-led advice, course comparison tools and the Ambassador Chat feature, which enables applicants to connect directly with current students to ask questions about their course, accommodation, support services, student life and the realities of settling into university.
The Whatuni Real Voices, Real Choices survey is based on the views of over 1,200 current students across different stages of undergraduate study at UK universities. Respondents included students in year one, year two, year three, and year four or beyond, and were drawn from across the UK.
ENDS