A national survey of undergraduates found ratings of overall experience plunged from 78 per cent in 2019 to 69 per cent in 2020.

At the University of Canberra, the quality of education experience dropped from 78.3 per cent to 69 per cent, while the Australian National University dropped from 79.6 per cent to 67.9 per cent on the same measure.

The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching (QILT) survey showed learner engagement declined significantly at most universities, while student support ratings were largely on par with 2019.

Melbourne universities suffered the worst drop in student satisfaction. The city had the longest lockdown period of any in Australia in 2020.

University of Canberra deputy vice-chancellor Professor Geoff Crisp said he wasn't surprised student satisfaction declined during a disrupted year of learning.

He said one bright spot was the university's rating for teaching quality had only fallen by 4 per cent and its student support rating dropped just 1 per cent.

"It showed that the university made quite an effort in both the teaching quality and in the student support," he said.

Prof Crisp said the decline in student engagement wasn't due to online teaching itself.

"We [switch to remote learning] so rapidly and on such a large scale that it was difficult to take the time that we would normally do to make sure that all the material was purposely designed for online," he said.

"I certainly wouldn't agree with equating the downturn in the student experience just with the online learning. I think it was more to do with not being able to come onto campus, not being able to do their laboratories, their studios, their [work] placements."

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At the ANU, learner engagement dropped from 59.1 per cent in 2019 to 43.2 per cent, but ratings on student support questions improved slightly from 65.7 per cent to 68.6 per cent.

ANU deputy vice-chancellor academic Professor Grady Venville said the university had a high proportion of Victorian and international students who experienced extra disruption due to lockdowns and border restrictions.

"We're not surprised for those international students and then other Australian students who were locked down for a considerable period of time that their engagement was very tricky for them during that period," Prof Venville said.

Prof Venville said students were now catching up on compulsory parts of their degrees, such as laboratory work, but overseas placements were still on hold.

"It is really disappointing for us and for the students. But every everyone that I'm aware of is completely understanding of the situation and understands that their health comes first and that it's not anybody's fault, it's just the way the world is at the moment."

Prof Crisp said ongoing delays were expected for health students who were required to get a COVID-19 vaccination before entering aged care or hospitals for placements.

"The university is doing all it can to get those students vaccinated and get them out onto their placements," he said.

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