List of universities in the United Kingdom

This is a list of universities in the United Kingdom (alphabetical by substantive name). Below that are lists of university colleges and other recognised bodies (institutions with degree awarding powers), followed by a list of defunct institutions.

Universities alphabetically

[edit]

This list follows the list of recognised bodies on the UK government website.[1] All the institutions on this list are recognised bodies with university status, indicated either by their use of university title in their name on the recognised bodies list or by reference to the Office for Students database[2] for the few universities that do not use the title in their name. Member institutions of the University of London are listed here if they hold university status.

University colleges

[edit]
This is a list of university colleges in the UK. Institutions included on this list are university colleges that are recognised bodies with their own degree awarding powers;[1] it does not include institutions with "university college" in their title that are listed bodies as parts of a university (see colleges within universities in the United Kingdom), or other institutions with "university college" in their title. Separate citations are given for institutions that have been awarded university college title recently and are not yet shown under that name on the recognised bodies list or which do not use the title in their name.
Arms University Established University college status Total students Notes
- AECC University College[14] 1965 2017 1,220 renamed as Health Sciences University in 2024
- University College of Estate Management 1919 2013 4,000 Reading
- University College of Osteopathy 1917 2017 1,000 London
- Writtle University College 1893 2016 7,645 merged with Anglia Ruskin University in 2024

Member institutions of the University of London

[edit]

All member institutions of the University of London are recognised bodies as institutions that have the right to grant University of London degrees. Some also hold their own degree awarding powers and, since the passing of the University of London Act 2018, can apply for university status in their own right without leaving the federal university.[15] Member institutions that are also universities in their own right are listed both here and in the list of universities above. The university was an examining board until 1900, when it became a federal university and admitted colleges as "Schools of the University".[16]

Arms University Established Joined University of London Total students Notes
Birkbeck, University of London 1823 1920 11,425 Since 2023 a university in its own right.
Brunel University of London 1798 2024 18,370 University from 1966
City St George's, University of London 2024 2024 26,065 Formed in 2024 by merger of City, University of London and St George's, University of London. City was founded in 1894, became as an independent university in 1966m surrendered university status in 2016 to join the University of London,[17] and became a university in its own right again in 2023. St George's was founded in 1733, became an original school of the university in 1900,[16] and became a university in its own right in 2022.[18]
None Royal Central School of Speech and Drama 1906 2005 1,100
None The Courtauld Institute of Art 1932 2002 545
Goldsmiths, University of London 1891 1905 10,090 Became an institution owned by the university in 1905[16] and a school of the university in 1988.[19]
None Institute of Cancer Research 1909 2003 280
King's College London 1829 1900 10,090 Along with University College London, one of the two colleges named in the 1836 charter as having the right to submit students for examination and an original school of the university in 1900.[16] Since 2023 a university in its own right.
London Business School 1964 1964 2,390
London School of Economics 1895 1900 12,975 Original school of the university in 1900.[16] Since 2023 a university in its own right.
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine 1899 1900 12,975 Original school of the university in 1900.[16]
Queen Mary University of London 1785 1907 26,045
Royal Academy of Music 1822 1999 860
Royal Holloway, University of London 1879 1900 11,530 Original school of the university in 1900.[16] Since 2022 a university in its own right.[20]
- Royal Veterinary College 1791 1949 2,510
- SOAS University of London 1916 1916 6,295 Since 2023 a university in its own right.
None University College London 1826 1900 46,830 Along with King's College London, one of the two colleges named in the 1836 charter as having the right to submit students for examination and an original school of the university in 1900.[16] Since 2023 a university in its own right.

Other recognised bodies

[edit]

This section lists other education institutions that hold their own degree awarding powers but are neither universities (or colleges of the University of London) nor university colleges.[1]

Recognised bodies that can only award foundation degrees

[edit]

These institutions are recognised bodies with foundation degree awarding powers only.[1]

Defunct university institutions

[edit]

This section lists defunct universities, university colleges, polytechnics and colleges of federal universities.

Former University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) main building, now used by The University of Manchester

Foreign universities with campuses in the United Kingdom

[edit]

While based in the UK, these are not considered UK universities and are not recognised as UK degree-awarding bodies by the British government unless separately listed in one of the categories above. Many are 'study abroad' centres for non-UK universities, offering a year or a semester in the UK for students enrolled at the foreign university, rather than campuses offering their own courses.

As of 1 November 2023, there are 29 "Overseas Higher Education Institutions" that have been approved for student visa purposes by the UK Government as offering "an overseas course of degree level study that's equal to a UK higher education course".[25][26] There is also one branch of an overseas university that is a "listed body", offering courses leading to a UK degree from a "registered body".[27] The following are approved overseas higher education institutions and foreign universities that are listed bodies in the UK, with their UK locations:

Universities in British Overseas Territories

[edit]

Universities in British Overseas Territories are not considered UK Universities and are not recognised as UK degree-awarding bodies by the British government.[33]

University of the West Indies in Mona

Anguilla

[edit]

Bermuda

[edit]

Cayman Islands

[edit]

Gibraltar

[edit]

Montserrat

[edit]

Turks and Caicos Islands

[edit]

Universities in Crown Dependencies

[edit]

See list of universities in the Isle of Man for university institutions on the Isle of Man. There are currently no universities in the Channel Islands; in 2013[35][36] the States of Guernsey gave approval for the opening of a university there but, as of February 2017, no progress has been made on the project.[37]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "Check if a university or college is officially recognised". Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  2. ^ "Existing regulatory data". Office for Students. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
  3. ^ "University College Birmingham". HEFCE. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  4. ^ "Early records". University of Cambridge. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine". HEFCE. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Leeds Arts University established as Leeds College of Art gains university status!". Leeds Arts University. 21 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
  7. ^ Combined total from "Where do HE students study?". HESA. HE student enrolments by HE provider. Retrieved 5 November 2023.. Included institutions are Birkbeck, City, University of London, Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths, Institute of Cancer Research, King's College, London Business School, LSE, LSHTM, Queen Mary, Royal Academy of Music, Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Royal Holloway, Royal Veterinary College, SOAS, St George's, UCL and the central institutes & activities.
  8. ^ "Regulatory case report for university title for NCH at Northeastern Limited". Office for Students. 20 July 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  9. ^ Jacques Verger (16 October 2003). "Patterns". In Hilde de Ridder-Symoens; Walter Rüegg (eds.). A History of the University in Europe. Vol. 1, Universities in the Middle Ages. Cambridge University Press. pp. 52–53. ISBN 9780521541138. There were schools in operation in Oxford from at least as early as the middle of the twelfth century; an embryonic university organization was in existence from 1200, even before the first papal statutes (1214), which were complemented by royal charters, had established its first institutions
  10. ^ https://www.regents.ac.uk/ [bare URL]
  11. ^ "Royal Holloway and Bedford New College" (PDF). The Privy Council Office. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  12. ^ "St George's, University of London Scheme" (PDF). St George's, University of London. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  13. ^ "Merger FAQs" (PDF). University of Wales. January 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  14. ^ "AECC University College". HEFCE. Retrieved 27 August 2017.
  15. ^ "UCL statement on University of London Act 2018". University College London. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h University of London, the Historical Record: (1836-1912). University of London. 1912. pp. 5–24, 84–86.
  17. ^ Jack Grove (16 July 2015). "City University London to join University of London". Times Higher Education.
  18. ^ "St George's, University of London Scheme" (PDF). St George's, University of London. 30 June 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  19. ^ "Goldsmiths' College archives". AIM25 Archives in London and the M25 area. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  20. ^ "Royal Holloway and Bedford New College" (PDF). The Privy Council Office. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Regulatory activity for individual providers". Office for Students. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  22. ^ Richard Adams (7 October 2020). "Dyson technology institute to be given power to award its own degrees". The Guardian.
  23. ^ Sean Coughlan (29 October 2020). "New college opening with degrees with no subjects". BBC News.
  24. ^ "Euan Blair apprenticeship firm gets licence to award degrees". The Guardian. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  25. ^ "Tier 4 (General) student visa". Government of the United Kingdom. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  26. ^ "Register of licensed sponsors: students". UK Visas and Immigration. 1 November 2023. Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  27. ^ a b "Check if a university or college is officially recognised". Government of the United Kingdom. 7 March 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2017.
  28. ^ "Educational Oversight: report of the monitoring visit of Amity Global Education Ltd t/a Amity University [In] London" (PDF). Quality Assurance Agency. November 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  29. ^ "The Bader International Study Centre". Queen's University, Canada. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  30. ^ "About Us – History, Facts and Features". Harlaxton College. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  31. ^ "Harlow Campus". Memorial University. Retrieved 25 September 2016.
  32. ^ "PHBS-UK". Retrieved 1 November 2023.
  33. ^ "Recognised UK degrees". Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  34. ^ http://www.usat.ms Archived 29 September 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ "Channel Islands university supported by Guernsey States". BBC. 15 November 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  36. ^ "University of the Channel Islands in Guernsey: Vision Statement". Susan Jackson Associates. September 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
  37. ^ "Guernsey 'could have its own university'". itv.com. 16 February 2017.
[edit]