Named in honour of the ingenious engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this west London institution strives to be the UK’s leading technical university, and many of its courses include professional qualifications. The original academic focus in engineering, science, technology, education and management has expanded to include the performing arts, humanities, health, sport sciences and business. Brunel’s medical school began taking international students in 2022 and 2024 marks its first intake of 50 UK students.
Brunel is also a pioneer of sandwich degrees: four-year “thick-sandwich” programmes where the whole of year three is taken up by a work placement, or “thin-sandwich” degrees with two periods of work placements likely to stretch into the summer break.
What is Brunel University London’s reputation?
From October 1 Brunel becomes the17th member of the University of London federation. It has has inched another place up the top 350 in the QS World University Rankings 2025 too, following a 69-place leap the year before. In our own academic rankings — which, unlike global listings, take account of student satisfaction — Brunel has also made headway, rising 12 places. In our latest National Student Survey analysis, feedback about the wider undergraduate experience is significantly more positive, raising Brunel 54 places to 61st. Satisfaction with teaching quality has improved modestly from 125th in our previous edition to 111th.
However, in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023) the university is one of only seven to be rated bronze overall, downgraded from silver in the previous assessment. Despite this, the TEF report highlighted some “very high quality features” including “physical and virtual learning resources that are used effectively to support very high quality teaching and learning”.
Sport and exercise science produced good results for Brunel in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), along with anthropology and allied health subjects. Overall, almost three quarters (72.7 per cent) of Brunel’s submission was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent, putting the university at 72nd in our research quality index.
Brunel has attracted some well-known figures to the academic teaching staff over the years, with the author Will Self a professor of modern thought and the performance poet Benjamin Zephaniah a professor of creative writing before his death in 2023. The comedians and Brunel honorary graduates Jo Brand and Lee Mack are ambassadors for the university’s Centre for Comedy Studies Research. The university was a partner in the inaugural Nero Book Awards in 2023, aligned to its respected creative writing department and celebrated on campus with Brunel’s Big Read, a series of activities designed to create a community reading experience.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
The first intake of UK medical students enrolled in September 2024.
What are Brunel University London’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?
Grade requirements range between CDD and AAB. Brunel’s contextual offers are usually made at the lower end of its published grade range, commonly two grades lower than the standard requirement. The number of new students accepted to courses has dipped and is the lowest in a decade with almost 2,750 new first-years in 2023. International students made up almost a fifth of the intake.
What are the graduate prospects?
The university’s Professional Development Centre nurtures relationships with a variety of businesses locally and nationally. Students can boost their employability with upskilling sessions, careers fairs and virtual activities as well as work and placement opportunities . For those with a Brunel degree, the prospects are declining after a brief improvement last year, according to our Graduate Outcomes survey analysis. Brunel has tumbled 20 places to 103= with 69.4 per cent of graduates in highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months (down from 74.8 per cent last year).
What is Brunel University London’s campus like?
Students living on campus at Brunel can keep their commutes under ten minutes at the university’s single site in Uxbridge. The campus houses everything in one place — from academic buildings to student support services and social hangouts, along with accommodation.
Since 2014 the university has pumped more than £150 million into the campus, where striking new buildings and landscaping contrast with original 1960s architecture. There are standout sports facilities and a seven-storey learning and teaching centre. The Quad North building at the heart of the campus has simulated hospital wards and clinical skills laboratories. The newest addition is a community space, completed in spring 2024, with landscaped areas for events and social activities throughout the year.
Lecture theatres are next in line for a refresh.
Everything you need to know about Brunel University London’s student life and wellbeing support
The multimillion-pound Indoor Athletics Centre is the gold standard of Brunel’s excellent sports provision. As well as a 132m straight sprint track, it has pole vault, high jump and long or triple jump areas. Brunel is a regional training centre for UK Athletics and some of Britain’s best athletes use its facilities for daily training. There is also a World Rugby-approved artificial pitch and strength and conditioning gym, part of a partnership with Ealing Trailfinders Rugby.
The Sports Park’s facilities include an FA-registered 3G pitch and a floodlit international standard rugby pitch. Team Brunel was the first to introduce a branded sports hijab to boost participation among its female Muslim students and the university has a women-only gym. Away from sport, there is an annual musical theatre production to participate in — on stage or behind the scenes.
The students’ union hosts more than 100 sports clubs and societies. Juicy Wednesdays and Bollywood nights are some of the weekly draws at the Venue, Brunel’s on-campus nightclub with capacity for 600 revellers. Kingston is nearby for nights out, and central London is 40 minutes away by Tube. The university is also on the N207 night bus route from the West End.
The university’s counselling and mental wellbeing service can help with new and long-term mental health difficulties. Students may be offered short-term one-to-one counselling or group workshops and peer support groups.
What do the students say?
"Brunel University London stands out for its holistic student experience and robust campus culture. Our library houses a vivid collection across all disciplines. The Meeting House is our students’ favourite chill-out zone, complete with a piano and board games. The cohesive layout of our campus brings all colleges together, creating a tightly-knit community where innovation and collaboration flourish.”
Dr Naveed Sabugar, education and welfare officer and graduate of a clinical and cognitive neuroscience master’s
What about student accommodation in Brunel University London?
Accommodation on campus is guaranteed for all first-years who apply in time. A large proportion of Brunel students live at home and commute.
How diverse and inclusive is Brunel University London?
One of the more successful pre-1992 universities in our social inclusion index, Brunel draws the third-highest proportion (77.4 per cent) of students from black and ethnic minority backgrounds in England and Wales.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Brunel University London
Means-tested Bulb payouts (Brunel University London Bursaries) are worth £1,000 in year one, £2,000 in year two and £3,000 in year three, and 308 are available. Students who progress from the Urban Scholars programme qualify for a £3,000 cash award and for care leavers there is a bursary of £2,000 a year.
Merit-based scholarships are offered too, rewarding strength in sport, engineering and the physical sciences, among other subjects.
