Manchester Metropolitan University

Powering into the top 40 of our main academic ranking, Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) is a big university with big ambitions to combine a top student experience with degrees that are in step with employers’ demands. Its efforts are reflected in its award for Modern University of the Year 2026. Rising rates of student satisfaction show it is on the right track with undergraduates, whose responses in the latest National Student Survey put MMU in the top 20 for the student experience and top 25 for teaching quality.

The All Saints campus, located near the city centre and bordering Hulme, has been upgraded to the tune of more than £400 million over the past decade with improvements ranging from wildflower areas boosting biodiversity to the £115 million Dalton Building to advance Stem education and research. 

The university is a pioneer of degree apprenticeships and partners with more than 700 employers to link apprentices with places to earn while they learn, and it ranks 50th in our research quality index. MMU is awarded The Times and Sunday Times Modern University of the Year 2026. 

Plus, it’s been in the top five most sustainable and ethical universities for five years running according to People & Planet.

What is Manchester Metropolitan University’s reputation? 

MMU gained its charter in 1992 and has become one of the UK's largest universities. It was awarded a gold rating overall in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), underpinned by gold for the student experience and silver for student outcomes. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 30 per cent of its work was considered world-leading. Some of the strongest results were in art and design; English; and sport, leisure and tourism.

The Manchester School of Architecture, run in collaboration with the University of Manchester, ranks fifth for architecture and the built environment in the 2025 QS World University subject rankings. According to independent analysis, the university delivers an estimated £1.4 billion to Greater Manchester, more than both the city’s Premier League clubs combined. The university’s vice-chancellor, Malcolm Press, is the new president of the campaign group Universities UK.

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

Foundation year courses in marketing and physiotherapy are new for 2025. Coming in 2026 are degrees in textiles; business psychology; international hospitality and tourism business management; and user experience design. Closing in 2025 are courses in French and Spanish interpreting and translation; and various part-time English courses with creative writing, multimedia journalism, film and history. Planned closures for 2026 are English and American literature; and top-up courses in financial management; and business administration and management.

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

With new entrants averaging 127 Ucas points, MMU is in the upper half of UK universities for its entry standards. It is also in demand: MMU attracted nearly 59,500 applications in 2024, despite a 4 per cent drop compared with the previous year, and admissions hit a new high — with more than 11,500 new students accepted on to courses.  

What are the graduate prospects?

Students can access work placements or internships with large companies, including the law firms Leigh Day and Addleshaw Goddard, or smaller local businesses. Its placement team can also help with CV advice. For now though MMU ranks only joint 93rd in our graduate prospects measure, based on 71.6 per cent of its graduates in high-skilled jobs or further study 15 months on.

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What is Manchester Metropolitan University’s campus like?

The university has been investing heavily in upgrading its facilities and buildings, including a four-year renovation of the library, which started last year. When it reopens it will house the university’s Special Collection Museum and the Manchester Poetry Library.Students study film, animation, UX design, photography, games design and artificial intelligence in the School of Digital Arts and MMU’s Institute of Sport, which opened in 2022, provides facilities for sport management and exercise science. The Dalton STEM building marks the largest investment the university has ever made in its estate. The faculties of education and health are in the Brooks Building, about a ten-minute walk from campus.

When can I visit? 

mmu.ac.uk

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

Manchester is packed with culture, sport, music and nightlife options — more than enough to keep students entertained. The region’s first public poetry library is based at the university, along with the Manchester Writing School, where Carol Ann Duffy, the former poet laureate, is creative director. 

The Sugden Sports Centre, Manchester Aquatics Centre and Platt Lane Sports Complex in Fallowfield have fitness classes, gyms, a 50m pool and pitches.

Access to MMU’s counselling, mental health and wellbeing service is free. The university runs wellbeing skills workshops covering topics such as mindfulness and how to manage anxiety and low mood. 

What do the students say? 

“A short stroll from the city centre, the campus is a welcoming space where creativity thrives. From societies to cafés to sporting venues, there’s a place for everyone. The campus offers everything you need to succeed, while the supportive staff are always there to guide you.”
Savannah Dodsworth, MMU sport officer

What about student accommodation at Manchester Metropolitan University?

Allocation is on a first-come, first-served basis. An accommodation guarantee applies to full-time first-years who make MMU their firm choice and pay a deposit before the end of July.

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How diverse and inclusive is Manchester Metropolitan University?

Half its recruits are the first in their family to go to university (49.9 per cent) and 94.1 per cent went to non-selective state schools. Overall, MMU ranks 54= in our social inclusion index, up from 64th last year. The awarding gap for black students is relatively low, at 17.5 per cent (ranking 31st).

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Manchester Metropolitan University

The Success Fund will pay eligible applicants between £200 and £1,500 a year. There are also £1,500 bursaries for first-generation students from the northwest who have completed a pre-entry programme.