Students have branded their university one of the least satisfactory in the UK.
The University of Sussex has dropped from 20th to 27th place in the latest league tables.
Statistics compiled by the National Student Survey show only 66.5 per cent of students graduating from the university this year were satisfied with their education - making it the sixth worst in Britain.
Only Arts London, Thames Valley, Lincoln, Westminster and Brunel universities were worse thought of by students.
A spokesman for the university said the results had been presented in a misleading way.
He said: "Students come to Sussex with high expectations."
He said the university was working to improve areas of weakness and was regularly meeting with the students' union to discuss concerns.
He added the decision earlier this year to close the chemistry department, which was later reversed, had made a negative impression on the students.
Media studies undergraduates were the least impressed, with only 63.2 per cent satisfied, followed by politics, 63.8 per cent, and history and archaeology, 64.1 per cent.
Maths students were the most happy - 72.6 per cent said they were satisfied, followed by geography, 71.7 per cent, and economics, 68.9 per cent.
Despite dropping in the league tables, the university was praised for its overall excellence, bursary schemes and the medical school it runs jointly with the University of Brighton.
There was better news for Sussex in the international academic tables.
It was listed as the 100th best university worldwide - the third year running it has made the top 100.
The University of Brighton did not move , remaining in 56th place, but was named the third top "new" university.
The University of Chichester fell two places from 58 to 60 in the table but was praised for its arts, media and theology courses. The institution only became a university within the past year and is currently the smallest in the country, with fewer than 3,000 full-time undergraduates.
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