Lancaster University was established in 1964, when it was granted its Royal Charter. Since then it has risen rapidly to become one of the world's leading universities in teaching and research.
In The Times 2009 World University rankings, Lancaster was ranked in the top 200 institutions globally. The University's position as one of the UK's leading institutions was confirmed in The Times 2010 Good University Guide, which placed Lancaster in the top 25 institutions in the UK and established it as the leading University in the North West of England
Ranked among Britain's top 20 leading research universities in the latest UK Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the University plays a leading role in regional, national and international research. It also consistently ranks very high in the NUS Student Satisfaction survey
The University campus is situated just south of the historic city of Lancaster. It only takes around 15 minutes to reach the University by bus from the city centre, and one hour by train from Manchester International airport. Lancaster is also located just south of the Lake District National Park, famous for its mountains and scenic views
With around 11,000 students from over 100 different countries, Lancaster is a diverse and welcoming environment for study. Life at Lancaster is based around its 9 distinct and exciting colleges, of which all students and staff are members. Lancaster is one of a few UK universities to operate a collegiate system and the support they provide is a major part of the student experience
Students from Lancaster have excellent career prospects and students receive support from the University careers service (CEEC) throughout their time here. And once they have moved on from Lancaster, graduates will become part of a worldwide community of over 70,000 alumni in over 120 countries
Location and Facilities
Lancaster University is situated in the Northwest of England and is just ten minutes by bus from the historic city of Lancaster. It is a friendly, bustling city with all the amenities of a large city without losing any of its charm and character
The city is well placed for travel within the UK, and is within reach of some of the most beautiful scenery in the country. The city is on a direct rail route to London (2.5 hours), Edinburgh (2 hours), Manchester (1 hour), the Lake District (30 minutes) and the Yorkshire Dales (45 minutes). It is only a few miles from the seaside resort of Morecambe
Most of the city centre is pedestrianised and, in addition to the usual high street retailers, there is a shopping arcade and a large indoor market. There are many restaurants, pubs and cafes, as well as two theatres and cinemas. The Sugar House is the University's nightclub in the centre of Lancaster, which offers a wide range of entertainment including live music and comedy
As a self-contained campus university, all the academic, social and leisure facilities that students need are located on campus. The University library is in the centre of the campus in Alexandra Square. It contains more than one million items and currently subscribes to nearly 3,000 journals. It offers extensive information services and facilities such as self-service photocopiers, video and audio replay and microfilm equipment
Facilities at the University Sports Centre include a 25 meter indoor swimming pool, two multi-purpose sports halls, six squash courts, two weights rooms, and a climbing wall. Outdoor facilities include: floodlit synthetic grass pitches; football and rugby pitches; eight tennis courts and areas for archery and crown green bowling. The 9 Colleges each house their own student bars and social and games areas. The University's nightclub, the Sugar House, is also located in the centre of Lancaster and offers a wide range of entertainment including plenty of dancing, live music and comedy
The campus also offers a wide variety of facilities for everyday living which include: supermarkets, a Post Office, bookshops, banks, a travel agent, children's day care centre, launderettes, a dentist, and a medical centre. There is a good selection of restaurants, snack bars and fast food takeaways on campus, offering a range of choices to suit all tastes and cultures. Other facilities include a multi-faith Chaplaincy Centre, a theatre, a cinema and the Peter Scott Gallery which presents a rich and varied programme of temporary art exhibitions and houses the University's Art Collection
Accommodation
The majority of students at Lancaster live on campus in one of 9 residential colleges. The colleges have their own social space and are a focal point for student life. All international students are guaranteed accommodation on campus. Each college is made up of several flats housing 4 to 9 students. Each flat is equipped with kitchen facilities which are generally shared by between 4 and 9 students. Most rooms within the flats are single en-suite rooms, with private shower and toilet facilities
All rooms have a telephone with free internal calls and computer data points with access to high speed internet and the campus network. A limited amount of shared and family accommodation is also available . Some students may choose to live off campus and the Students' Union Housing website provides access to a list of University and City Council accredited properties