Facts, figures and rankings
Key facts and statistics
- 11,665 students in the 2023/24 academic year:
- 7,923 undergraduate
- 3,475 postgraduate taught
- 267 postgraduate research
- 10,260 full-time, 943 part-time, 462 distance learners
- 8,485 UK residence and EU, 3,180 non-EU
- 1,755 staff in the 2023/2024 academic year
- 645 academic
- 1,110 professional/support
- Approximately 156,493 alumni across 179 countries
Rankings
- 1st in England for on the Social Mobility Index in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 (as compiled by the Higher Education Policy Institute)
- Distance Learning MBA ranked 1st in the world by the Financial Times (March 2024) for value for money and teaching related to ethics and climate solutions (Financial Times Online MBA Rankings 2024)
- 3rd in the UK by Complete University Guide 2025 for Paramedic Science (only UK course to include a salaried sandwich year)
- 7th in the UK by Complete University Guide 2025 for Optometry
- 9th in the UK by The Guardian University league tables 2025 for Physiotherapy
- 9th in the UK by The Guardian University league tables 2025 for Children's Nursing
- 531st in the QS World University Rankings 2025 - a rise of over 100 places since 2024
Accolades and achievements
- Founding Member of the World Technology Universities Network
- First British University of Sanctuary
- First university to establish a Peace Studies department
- Triple Accredited Business School: School of Management
- Seven Athena Swan awards, recognising our dedication to equality, including:
- Athena Swan Bronze Award for tackling women's inequality in Higher Education (2016)
- Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) for Pharmacy Curriculum Team (2018)
- Silver Status for teaching in the Office for Students’ Teaching Excellence Framework 2023
- Queen’s Anniversary Prize recipients in 2016 (Dementia Care) and 2021 (Archaeology)