Enquiry Experience Tracker 2025 - A global step-up in service quality
Universities are delivering warmer, more personal, and more responsive interactions with prospective international students than ever before.
The latest Enquiry Experience Tracker (EET), developed by Edified in partnership with UniQuest, reveals that negative enquiry experiences have halved in just four years, falling from 33% in 2022 to 18% today.
Through continuous evaluation, recommendations for improvement and commitment to achieving excellence in prospective student experience the EET is driving positive change in the sector.
The share of institutions delivering excellent responses has risen from one-third to 58%, reflecting how intensifying global competition is raising the bar for student engagement.
Commenting on the results, Elissa Newall, Senior Partner at Edified and EET Project Director, said:
“Universities are putting the insights and our recommendations into practice, and it shows. The ultimate winners are students, who are getting more personal and helpful guidance than before.”
UK institutions hold steady, but competition is growing.
For the first time, UK universities have slipped just behind the global average, maintaining their 2024 score of 60 out of 100 against the global mean of 61.
Institutions in Australia and New Zealand lead the way with an average of 70, with North America lagging behind on 53.
That said, the UK remains a strong performer overall and continues to demonstrate leadership in multichannel engagement, offering the widest range of enquiry options and the most comprehensive responses globally.
Wales stands out, and the University of South Wales tops the UK
Within the UK, Wales emerged as a standout region in 2025.
UniQuest partner The University of South Wales (USW) achieved the highest rating in the UK and was best globally for its WhatsApp experience.
“International students are a valued and integral part of our university community,” said Donal O’Connor, Director of Future Students at USW.“We’re delighted to be named ‘Best in the UK’ and ‘Best WhatsApp Experience’. It’s testament to the hard work of our recruitment, enquiries, admissions and conversion teams, and to our close partnership with UniQuest.”
WhatsApp: the channel students love most
The 2025 study assessed WhatsApp for the first time alongside email, enquiry form, phone, live chat and peer-to-peer channels.
Half of UK universities in the sample now use WhatsApp, making it the most widely adopted regionally.
Mystery shoppers rated it the most reliable and satisfying channel, with 80% of enquiries answered within two hours.
Two-thirds of students said they would be very likely to continue engaging after their WhatsApp experience, more than any other channel in the study.
“It’s no surprise WhatsApp rates so highly,” said Jennifer Parsons, Executive Director Market and Partnerships at UniQuest.
“Students are getting quick, personal responses on a platform they use every day. Our data shows it’s a channel that indicates an increased likelihood to enrol.”
Quality beats speed
Speed matters, but warmth matters more.
While 86% of student enquiries now receive a response, the research shows that quick replies alone don’t drive satisfaction.
Students are seven times more likely to keep engaging when responses feel personal, relevant and empathetic rather than generic or automated.
The competitive edge for UK universities
With service standards improving across the world, UK institutions can’t rely on responsiveness alone.
Delivering the next level of personalisation, warmth and follow-up will be key to staying competitive and converting interest into enrolment along with diversification of enquiry channels and clear, helpful communication with prospective students.
At UniQuest, we help institutions translate insight into action, equipping teams with the people, platform and process to deliver high-impact enquiry experiences that convert.
Download the full global report
Discover the global findings, benchmarks and examples of best practice in the full Enquiry Experience Tracker 2025 report.
Download the report from Edified's website
About the Enquiry Experience Tracker
The EET is an annual global study developed by Edified in partnership with UniQuest.
Real student mystery shoppers representing seven countries tested 103 institutions across six enquiry channels to benchmark responsiveness, relevance and personalisation. To find out more about the EET and how you can be involved visit edified.com.au/eet.
Learn more about UniQuest’s work with universities to improve enquiry experience.
