About University of Plymouth

The University of Plymouth is based in the biggest city in the South West of England, providing international students with all the best aspects of British life. With a campus in the centre of a vibrant coastal city, the university is located a short drive from the local beaches and Dartmoor National Park.

Ranked a UK top ten young university in the Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2022, the university has 139,000 alumni across 135 countries and 3,000 current international students, approximately 14 per cent of the student body.

The university has high-quality facilities that help its students make the most of their time in the UK. Over GBP 155 million has been invested in the campus, from a new performing arts centre to a marine building with wave tanks and ship simulators and a 24-hour library.

Research conducted by the University of Plymouth is internationally respected. More than three quarters of research was ranked either world-leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). Plymouth is ranked 4^th in the world for ‘Life Below Water’ in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings 2022. Its facilities include a wave machine, a diving centre and three research vessels.

Every year, nearly 4,500 students benefit from Plymouth’s work-based learning and placement opportunities. Plymouth’s growing global presence places it amongst the top universities for Transnational Education. It has won the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher Education three times.

The teaching and learning support team at Plymouth supports every teaching member of staff to gain a recognised higher education teaching qualification. All degree programmes have incorporated internships, work-based learning or work experience. With this unique combination of teaching excellence and real-life job skills, Plymouth graduates gain more than just a degree.

Graduate outcomes

The University of Plymouth’s dedicated Careers & Employability Service is open to all students at any stage of their studies, as well as to graduates for three years after leaving the institution. The Careers Hub is based on campus and offers support and guidance to help students achieve their aspirations. Services include career planning advice, postgraduate study options, job searching, placement and work-based learning opportunities, job application support, interview practice and assessment.

The university is a key partner in the South West Peninsula City Deal, which has the potential to create over 10,000 jobs.

Plymouth Compass helps students navigate their way through their whole university experience, in both their taught curriculum and extra-curricular activities. What students learn at university prepares them for more than a career, so the Compass helps students develop key skills in academic, civic, professional, and personal areas.

The university encourages all students to complete the Plymouth Award which recognises student achievement outside the curriculum such as volunteering. This subsequently feeds into their Higher Education Achievement Report. 87 per cent of Plymouth’s postgraduate students are found to be employed within six months of completing their studies.

What’s new

The University of Plymouth is a modern, dynamic university with an educational history dating back to 1862. The institution is renowned for high-quality, internationally leading education, research and innovation. The University of Plymouth has been awarded Gold ratings across the board in the latest round of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023). With a mission to advance knowledge and transform lives, Plymouth is a top 5 UK young university (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2022). The university has clusters of world-class research across a wide range of disciplines, including marine science and engineering, medicine, cybersecurity and psychology.

Award-winning

A three-time winner of the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education, most recently in 2019. In respect of its pioneering research on microplastics pollution in the oceans, its impact on the environment and changing behaviour, the university continues to grow in stature and reputation.

This confirms that the university delivers high-quality teaching, learning and outcomes for its students and consistently exceeds rigorous national quality requirements for UK higher education.

The student body represents over 100 nations and there are over 139,000 alumni in 135 countries worldwide. The university also has numerous and varied academic partnerships and research links globally, meaning a University of Plymouth degree is a truly international one.

The University of Plymouth was also shortlisted for the Times Higher Education University of the Year 2022 award.