Doing things differently is part of the fabric at this West Midlands university with global ambitions. A three-time winner of our Modern University of the Year award (2014-16) and shortlisted for University of the Year in 2021, Coventry’s latest innovation is to implement six entry points a year for students, with modules taught one at a time to give an in-depth understanding of a subject area before moving on to another. It is a member of the post-1992 cohort of universities, evolving from the Coventry College of Design founded in 1843.
Now its focus is international, and the institution has become one of the UK’s biggest recruiters of students from abroad. The Coventry University Group has an expanding network of global hubs from Brussels and Wroclaw, in Poland, to Beijing, Dubai and Singapore. Campuses in India, Morocco and Kazakhstan are new to the fold.
What is Coventry University’s reputation?
Coventry achieved a gold rating overall in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023). The Coventry University Group’s remarkable global connections earned it the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in 2022 — one of the last made in the late monarch’s name.
The university has expanded its research centres, increased research and doctoral staff and developed purpose-built facilities, which has paid off in the results of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), in which 70 per cent of Coventry’s submission was classed as world-leading or internationally excellent. The best outcomes were in architecture, education, linguistics, and communication and media studies. As a result it jumped 36 places in our research quality index, from 108= to 72nd.
However, Coventry has slipped from its former top 20 position for student satisfaction to 39th for teaching quality and has fallen to 60= from 31st for the wider undergraduate experience in our new National Student Survey analysis.
Its risk-taking strategy has left Coventry more exposed than other institutions to the financial challenges facing all UK universities. Changes to student visas, for instance, have affected its enrolments from abroad. Coventry’s 2023-24 accounts revealed a pre-tax deficit of £59.3 million, and auditors said that a “material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the group and university’s ability to continue”. The university’s vice-chancellor and chief executive for more than a decade, John Latham, said: “Like most of the sector, we are having to adapt to a new financial reality created by circumstances beyond our control ... We still have significant cash reserves, a strong balance sheet, own our modern, sustainable campus buildings and remain attractive to future students, as shown by strong growth this year at our London locations.”
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
From September 2026 the curriculum will swell to include 43 new courses, among them ecology and conservation, politics with philosophy, sport business management, computer games programming, and events management.
The university’s London campus is launching degrees in digital marketing and analytics (with or without a foundation year), and international finance and accounting.
At the time of writing, no course closures had been confirmed by the university.
What are Coventry University’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Demand for places has been declining. Entry requirements range from 128 Ucas tariff points — equivalent to ABB at A-level — (mainly for four-year integrated master’s courses) to 96 points (CCC). Contextual offers tend to reduce the required grades by up to 24 points. In 2024, 13 per cent of new students entered through clearing.
What are the graduate prospects?
Coventry’s focus on teaching technical skills and its links to local and national organisations are intended to create graduates ready to hit the workplace. At the university’s Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, run in collaboration with Unipart, a working factory doubles as an academic base for students. The Phoenix+ programme provides work experience and development as students progress through their courses at the university. A mentorship programme links industry professionals with final-year students to develop their career goals. In our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes survey, Coventry ranks 74= with 74.4 per cent of leavers finding highly skilled jobs or returning to study within 15 months.
It offers 34 degree apprenticeship programmes — one of the most comprehensive in the UK — and has 3,000 students enrolled.
What is Coventry University’s campus like?
The West Midlands university is located in a city that was flattened by bombing during the Second World War and rebuilt with lashings of concrete. It also has campuses in Scarborough, and Dagenham and Greenwich in London, where training facilities include a Bloomberg trading floor, hospitality suite and fashion studio.
The Beatrice Shilling Building opened in 2020 in Coventry for the Faculty of Engineering, Environment and Computing and the Lanchester library has been renovated to offer five floors of up-to-date resources. The James Starley Gardens at the heart of the campus, named after the father of the bicycle industry in the city, is open to the community as well as students. A £43 million redevelopment of the Delia Derbyshire building — home to art and design courses and named after the Coventry-born composer of the Doctor Who theme and early electronic music — opened in 2024. Students have access to immersive labs, a “hyperstudio” designed for cross-disciplinary projects as well as workshops, and spaces equipped with virtual and mixed-reality technologies.
When can I visit?
coventry.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about student life and wellbeing support
The indoor Sport and Recreation Centre in the city centre has a dance studio, two sports halls and a fitness suite. Outdoor sports facilities at Westwood Heath are five miles away.
Support for students includes the 24/7 Spectrum.Life platform, which delivers “in the moment” help and up to six sessions of counselling. The university’s mental health team is also available.
What do the students say?
“From day one, the strong sense of community helped me feel at home as an international student. The diverse student body creates room for cultural exchange both in and outside the classroom. Coventry University's focus on practical learning, employability and inclusivity sets it apart.”
Promise Owai, education officer 2024/2025, global healthcare management (MSc).
What about student accommodation at Coventry University?
First-years who make Coventry their firm choice are guaranteed a space in halls.
How diverse and inclusive is Coventry University?
Coventry has risen five places this year to be ranked 32nd in our social inclusion index overall. Its ethnic diversity is in the top quarter of universities in England and Wales (25th). The university’s flexible start times for its degrees are designed to fit around personal and work commitments and make higher education accessible for more students.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Coventry University
Care leavers can apply for fully funded accommodation in halls for a maximum of four years. There is a range of scholarships, including one for sports that provides up to £3,000.
