Art & Design has tended to show up relatively poorly in some respects in recent surveys of ‘the student experience’ in the UK. Evidence drawn from such surveys indicates that it is in the areas of the organisation and management of programmes that problems are particularly signalled, and that these problems have persisted over time. The challenges of managing students’ experiences of higher education are readily apparent. Analysis of data from the National Student Survey demonstrate that the ratings given to some institutions as regards organisation and management remained high, or rose markedly, between 2005 and 2006, provoking the question of how these institutions achieved success.