ARU (Aru London, ARU Cambridge & Aru Chelmsford) Anglia Ruskin University
Anglia Ruskin University, originally the Cambridge School of Art (founded 1858), became a university in 1992. Located at four main campuses, a variety of subjects are available to study. The campus in the centre of London offers subjects in business, law and finance, the Cambridge campus offers science and law, with a new science centre and law clinic. The Peterborough campus opened in 2011, with a focus on health, education and social care and the state-of-the-art School of Medicine opened in Chelmsford.
The university won the Duke of York Award for Entrepreneurship in 2014. Student accommodation is available on-site at Cambridge, Peterborough and Chelmsford. Notable alumni include recent award-winning writer Elena Arevalo Melville, and illustrator Kate Milner, along with musicians Syd Barrett and David Gilmour of famous British rock band Pink Floyd.
Coventry Group (Coventry University, Coventry University London & CU London)
Coventry University’s ranking is number thirteen in the UK according to the Guardian University Guide 2011. With a gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), they are especially popular for their degrees in Engineering, Business, Automotive, Health and Life Sciences. The university is located in the city of Coventry in the centre of the UK, with an additional campus in the middle of London’s financial district, where they offer business and finance courses.
Boasting modern facilities, such as their £59 million Science and Health building, opened in 2018, and the current £29 million expansion of Engineering facilities. Famous graduates of this top university include writer-journalist David Yelland and Neil Carson, former CEO of British multinational, Johnson Matthey.
The University of Law
Previously College of Laws, they trace their origins back to tutorial firm Gibson and Weldon, founded in 1876. Gaining the University title in 2012, they are one of the oldest established providers of specialised legal education in the UK. They have 12 campuses throughout the country including: London Bloomsbury and Moorgate, Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Chester, Exeter, Guildford, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Reading, as well as distance options. Accommodation is guaranteed if a firm choice is accepted and there are a range of clubs and societies to socialise.
Having worked with many UK law firms for training and development purposes, the university has a contemporary and practiced approach to teaching. They are well known for their Legal Practice Course, Bar Professional Course along with other Law based courses. With a successful graduate employment rate, it’s no surprise that Sadiq Khan,current Mayor of London, is among their Alumni.
London South Bank University
With a history dating back to 1892, the University’s main campus is just a short walk from the South Bank Centre. Another campus called Havering is popular for nursing studies, where medical students can experience hospital simulations as part of their education. Other academic facilities include engineering labs, electron microscopes and design workshops. Additionally, a modern student centre was opened in 2012.
Student accommodation services are available and new students are guaranteed accommodation if they apply before the deadline. Another notable student service is the career centre which helps current and graduated students to find jobs.
The university has a silver TEF ranking for teaching excellence and pride themselves on diversity and welcoming international students. There is a student’s union, free to join, and over 70 student societies with events throughout the year. Famous Alumni include Russell Lissack (Musician) and Greg Searle (Olympic rower).
London Metropolitan university
With roots dating back to 1848, the university as it is today was created in 2002. London Met is well-known for its Business, Art and design courses. There are three modern campuses, each with different schools and subjects. At Holloway, students study Social Sciences and Social Professions, at Moorgate, Business and Law are studied and at Aldgate the focus is on Art, Architecture and Design.
London Met boasts a range of modern facilities including the £30 million science centre, mock courtroom and specialist design workshops. They are passionate about the environment and have significantly reduced their carbon emissions through upgrades to facilities in recent years.
While they don’t own accommodation, there is a service which assists students in finding somewhere to live. Other services include a careers program and an opportunity for students to be mentored by a professional in their industry of study. Alumni include Kate Hooey, MP, Singer Sinead O’Connor and Actor Noel Clarke.
Ulster University
Ulster University is located in Northern Ireland, Ranking 58th in the Times University Guide 2020, and 59th in the Guardian. Additional courses are offered at university centres in London and Birmingham. Each campus has a school and set of subjects, so student location depends on the course of study. The London and Birmingham centres primarily focus on business and finance. The Ulster campuses include Coleraine, Magee, Jordanstown and Belfast with courses in Business, architecture, Marketing, Biomedical Science, Engineering, Computing Science and more.
Known as the university with a warm welcome and friendly atmosphere, they have a student welfare service ready to cater to international student needs, including orientation and airport pickup. Student accommodation is guaranteed on the Ulster campuses, but in London or Birmingham private accommodation must be found by students. The student association is free to join and run by volunteers with a range of social events throughout the year. Notable Alumni include Gary Lightbody (Snow Patrol), Omid Djalili (Comedian), Willie Doherty (Artist), Roberta Carol Blackman-Woods (MP).
Northumbria University
With a history as Rutherford College, dating back to 1871, Northumbria University now has campuses in London, Amsterdam and Newcastle. Well known for their courses in Law, Business, Design, and Engineering, they provide a wide variety of business-focussed courses. The university’s recent investment of £250m in its campuses, brought students prototyping workshops, CAD suites, cutting edge Laboratories and more.
The London campus specialises in professional Business and IT courses, while the city campus in Newcastle hosts the Pathway programmes for international students, preparing them for university life in the UK. After the foundational year students can study in the many undergraduate courses available across different campuses. Many international students study at Northumbria with its welcoming student support service, including an accommodation service where students can choose from currently available flats.
Middlesex University
With a history spanning from 1892, Middlesex is a single-campus University in North London with university centres in London Holborn, Birmingham and Manchester. Specialising in health and business, their vision is to be forward thinking and practical. The university has a range of modern facilities, with state of the art digital nursing and midwifery equipment, specialist chambers in Hendon town hall, and financial markets lab.
They have a silver TEF for teaching excellence and offer academic support, a student learning assistant scheme and an employment service called MDXworks.
Accommodation is available, including self catering and shared halls. They have a very international focus, with campuses in Dubai, Mauritius and Malta. The university is well prepared for international students, with a meet and greet at the airport and a specialised international orientation program. Interestingly, the university is famous for being the place where silver argentium was invented.
Solent University
With a long history, beginning as Southampton College of Art in 1855, Solent was granted University status in 2004. Located in Southampton city centre, they are known for maritime studies, sports science and non-traditional subjects, such as yacht design, comedy writing and video game design. Creative on-campus student enterprises match their range of subjects including a music placement service, a production company, a web TV channel, a creative agency and a student-run shop.
The Solent University Warsash Maritime Academy is world renowned for maritime research with a ship and port simulation centre and hydrodynamic testing tank. Facilities include a new sports centre opened in 2019, in addition to the original quality sports facilities, notably used by the Lawrie McMenemy Centre for Football Research. Student services are equipped to help international students, with a number of student residences reserved for first year students.
Brunel University
Founded in 1966, Brunel University is known for courses in technology, engineering and sports science. The top university is located in West London on a single campus. With a silver award for teaching excellence TE) Brunel ranked 10th in the UK for Engineering and Technology, (Times Higher Education 2015).
Brunel welcomes international and eu students through Brunel International. The university offers guaranteed accommodation and pre-sessional English courses to new students. Scholarships to cover fees and living costs are available to local, eu and international students. Notable Alumni include comedian Lee Mack and Engineer Ross Brawn.
Hertfordshire University
Located in Hatfield, north of London, Hertfordshire University was first established 1952, becoming a university forty years later in 1992. With a gold ranking in TEF for teaching excellence, the university has a reputation for its Nursing, Engineering and Computer Science courses.
The university has a robot football team and an interactive robot called Kaspar in their Computer Science lab. Campus facilities include an indoor swimming pool, a flight simulator, a replica Crown Court, and a state of the art Science building. Students are encouraged to be active and participate in sports and fitness activities, along with other student events and societies.
The international student support team is equipped to offer advice and provide free pre-sessional English lessons to international students. Accommodation on campus is also guaranteed for first year students if applied for by the deadline.
Birmingham City University
Established in 1992, with a history dating back to 1843, Birmingham City University is located in the West-Midlands. It is especially known for its courses in Art and Design, Media, Tech and Health Science, with a silver teaching excellence TEF award. The Student Academic Partners Scheme ensures that the teaching remains relevant and high-quality.
Over the past few years they have spent £260 million on upgrading their facilities, including the famous Royal Birmingham Conservatoire building. All undergraduate students, including eu students, are eligible for a £150 credit to spend on books and materials. Accommodation is guaranteed to first year students, along with orientation and a meet and greet for international students.
University of Plymouth
Established in 1992, with a connection to Plymouth School of Navigation 1862, Plymouth is one of the largest Universities in the UK. The university is located on the south coast of England, having gained a world-wide reputation for its marine and maritime research programs, being named a top 50 UK research institution by the 2014 Research Excellence Framework. The university offers courses in medicine, dentistry, psychology, biomedicine, engineering, science, arts, humanities, business and more.
Marine and Ocean studies are popular courses at Plymouth, not only due to its reputation, but also due to the quality of the facilities and field equipment available. The university has also made upgrades to other facilities, including a media hub, performance spaces, an enterprise program and medical labs.
Rated one of the Top 20 Best Universities for Career Services by Student Crowd 2017, they have an employment hub for current students and graduates. Student support is offered in the form of a personal tutor, workshops in maths and academic writing and the student union’s advice centre. Orientation and airport services are provided by the International Student Advice Service.
University of Greenwich International College
University of Greenwich International College is a college located within the University of Greenwich. To study in the degree program at the University, International students must take a foundation year course at the international college first. The undergraduate areas of study include computing, science, business, social sciences and engineering.
University of Greenwich has three main campuses, Greenwich in London, Medway in Kent and Avery Hill in southeast London. Avery Hill campus has a student wellbeing centre, including a medical centre for students. Medway is the school of Engineering and Science. Over £80 million was invested in specialist laboratories and educational facilities.
First year students are guaranteed a place in university accommodation if they meet the criteria. The student unions and societies have lots of fun events planned throughout the year including a program with group excursions.
De Montfort University
De Montfort University, established in 1992, is located in the centre of Leicester at the recently upgraded campus. Especially known for their courses in Art and Design, they also offer courses in Pharmacy, Business, Mechatronics and Engineering Management. They have a Gold in TEF, demonstrating excellent teaching standards. Additionally, a career program, placement schemes are offered to help students gain industry experience and academic study support seminars are provided to help students improve their academic skills.
Student life comes with a range of volunteer opportunities, creative union activities and social clubs. There is a seasonal part-time jobs fair to help students find work to fit with their studies. Student services offer assistance to new students in finding available accommodation if requested. Notable alumni include photographer Zarina Bhimji, Model Laura Coleman and footwear designer Liam Fahy.