Students at the University of Bath are the happiest in Britain, according to a new survey.

A Times Higher Education (THE) student survey showed while some universities had better their performance last year, overall across the UK student satisfaction – or happiness – had fallen.

The THE survey asks students to assess campus facilities, industry connection and cheap amenities – as well as the more traditional benchmarks, such as assessed learning and teaching standards.

Last year’s winner, Sheffield, dropped to third place, while Loughborough University came in third place, appearing to cement the dominance of campus-based universities in the leading positions.

Three universities – Nottingham, Dundee, and Durham – dropped off the top ten but two new entries, the University of Surrey and Newcastle University, joined at sixth and tenth place respectively.

Best student experience survey, 2015 Show all 10 1 /10 Best student experience survey, 2015 Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Bath Overall score: 83.6 Respondents: 180 Best student experience survey, 2015 Loughborough University Overall score: 83.3 Respondents: 155 Loughborough University Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Sheffield Overall score: 83.1 Respondents: 272 Flickr Creative Commons, Elaine/neuroticcamel Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Cambridge Overall score: 82.9 Respondents: 219 Getty Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Oxford Overall score: 82.7 Respondents: 219 Getty Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Surrey Overall score: 82.3 Respondents: 131 Alamy Best student experience survey, 2015 University of East Anglia Overall score: 82.3 Respondents: 157 Rex images Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Exeter Overall score: 82 Respondents: 193 Best student experience survey, 2015 University of Leeds Overall score: 81.9 Respondents: 248 Rex Features Best student experience survey, 2015 Newcastle University Overall score: 81.6 Respondents: 170

Although Oxford and Cambridge both made the top ten, neither made the top of the table.

Around 14,700 full-time undergraduate students took part in the tenth annual survey, rating 21 different aspects of university life, showing that the average overall score had fallen from 75.5 to 74.7.

Editor of the Times Higher Education magazine John Gill suggested that the slight drop in satisfaction may be due to increasing student numbers.