A work placement is a compulsory element of most Aston degrees, contributing to the university’s impressive record on social mobility. Aston has ranked second in the country for three successive years in the English Social Mobility Index according to analysis by the Higher Education Policy Institute, a think tank. Aston is also one of the best-performing pre-1992 institutions in our own social inclusion index, in joint 66th place. The Birmingham-based university puts a strong focus on graduate employability and extensive links with industry.

The pioneer of degree apprenticeships in the UK, at the last count in 2023 Aston had more than 1,100 enrolments in ten level 6 undergraduate programmes in sectors including business, IT, engineering and healthcare, and hopes to expand provision for 2,000 degree apprentices by 2030. 

What is Aston University’s reputation?

Originally a college of advanced technology, Aston has grown into a multi-faculty institution with schools covering business, law, medicine, pharmacy, biosciences, engineering and technology, computer science and digital technologies, infrastructure and sustainable engineering, optometry, psychology, and social sciences and humanities. 

The university achieved the best possible results in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023, with “triple gold” for student experience, outcomes and the overall grade. The TEF panel praised “outstanding teaching, feedback and assessment practices that are highly effective, embedded and tailored to students’ needs”. Aston was also commended for “work-based learning and preparing students for the world of work,” and its “highly effective support for educational gains that are aligned with industry needs and social mobility.”

Aston is delving into the potential of AI to mimic its students’ future work life and has developed new generative AI simulation software at its Pharmacy School, with a virtual character that responds to questions using AI.  

Aston doubled the number of staff taking part in its submission to the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) compared with the previous national assessment in 2014, and 79 per cent of the team's work was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent — earning Aston a spot in the top half of our research quality ranking. The university hosts research centres in bioenergy, photonic technologies, neuroscience and forensic linguistics, among others. Its new Digital Futures Institute is a hub for its work within big data, machine learning, AI and the internet of things.

Our analysis of the National Student Survey (NSS) lifts Aston 23 places to rank 74 for teaching quality. But the biggest leap is with the wider student experience, up 34 places to sit within the top 20 at 16.

What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?

Degrees in nursing studies (mental health), history, and international development management welcomed their first students in September 2024. Six courses have been withdrawn, including four social policy joint degrees, and transport management. New degree apprenticeships are in store in digital finance and accounting management; and product design and development.

What are Aston’ University’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?

Aston’s medical school requires the highest entry grades — A*AA — and for other courses, the lowest requirement is CCC. Those who qualify for a contextual offer (17 per cent of new entrants in 2023) can expect a grade reduction of one or two grades.

Applications to study at Aston have soared across the past decade, from just over 13,600 in 2014 to more than 23,000 in 2023. The places available have also increased, though not at the same rate, and in 2023 3,700 new first-years were accepted onto courses — the highest number to date for the university. 

What are the graduate prospects?

Despite a slight year-on-year fall of seven places, Aston is still in the top 25 in our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes survey for the proportion of graduates in highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months. Through Aston’s partnerships, students can secure a huge range of placements at employers that include the clothing retailer Asos, the pharmacy giant GlaxoSmithKline, the European parliament and Microsoft.

What is Aston University’s campus like?

The 60-acre campus is a stone’s throw from the centre of the buzzing student city of Birmingham. Aston has modern teaching facilities while social learning spaces and pockets of greenery provide places to relax among outdoor sculptures. Almost half of Aston’s students are based at the highly rated business school.

Aston is an Adobe Creative Campus – which means students have access to the latest digital tools for creating graphics, video, web content and photography. Since February 2024 the campus has hosted Design Factory Birmingham – part of a global network of hubs in 25 countries linking students and staff across cultures with the aim of fostering radical innovations.

Everything you need to know about Aston University’s student life and wellbeing support

Qualified counsellors are available to provide support and students can use the 24/7 Togetherall online service. There is also a multi-faith chaplaincy, disability services and residential support.

Sports facilities are divided across two locations, on and off campus. The Sir Doug Ellis Woodcock Sports Centre on campus includes a swimming pool with sauna and steam room, women-only gym and sports hall with indoor courts. Three five-a-side all-weather pitches are also on site and the Outdoor Recreation Centre, six miles away, has pitches for football, cricket and hockey.

What do the students say?

“Birmingham is a fantastic place to be a student! The town is lively and always bustling, there are students everywhere you go. The diversity is also astounding and very welcoming, and it is definitely a town I will always know as home, even after my graduation.”
Ali Jaffer, healthcare science audiology graduate

What about student accommodation at Aston University?

First-years who meet Aston’s criteria are guaranteed student accommodation in Aston Student Village.

How diverse and inclusive is Aston University?

Aston has a record as one of the better-performing pre-1992 universities in our social inclusion index. Although it has dropped 17 places to 66= (held back by relatively low proportions of white working-class male, mature and disabled students), the university has the most ethnically diverse intake in England and Wales (83.8 per cent). And with 53.4 per cent of students who are the first in their immediate family to go to university, Aston is in the top 25.

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Aston University

Financial support includes £500 Aston Achievement scholarships, given automatically to UK students who achieve BBB or higher in their A-levels. The Aston Forward scholarship totals £5,000 across the duration of a degree and is awarded to successful applicants from low-income households who have “amazing ambitions”. It is open to students who want to change the world through a business idea or community activity, or who have overcome significant barriers to study. 

Placement scholarships of £1,250 help students from households with an income of £42,875 or below to pay living expenses during an unpaid placement year or a placement year abroad.