Newly planted trees and wildflower areas are boosting biodiversity in All Saints Park, a focal point of Manchester Metropolitan University’s (MMU) campus. In addition, pedestrians and cyclists have priority over vehicles in the surrounding areas, which has helped MMU to take second place in the People & Planet University League, a ranking based on environmental and ethical performance. 

MMU has also been voted the UK's top degree apprenticeship provider for five years running in the RateMyApprenticeship awards. The university works with more than 600 employers, including AstraZeneca, IBM, BAE Systems and McDonald’s, as well as smaller businesses. 

What is Manchester Metropolitan University’s reputation? 

MMU gained its charter in 1992 and has become one of the UK's largest universities. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) 30 per cent of its work was considered world-leading, helping it to place 51st in our research quality index. 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, holds joint fifth place for architecture and the built environment in the 2024 QS World University subject rankings. Meanwhile the multidisciplinary Manchester Fashion Institute provides undergraduate and postgraduate training in design, business, promotion, fashion buying and technology. MMU 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. Assessors praised the “highly effective enhancement of employment prospects through real-world projects, simulations and placements”. 

In our analysis of the National Student Survey, MMU ranks 33rd in the UK for teaching quality (up eight places) and 26th for the wider student experience (up 18 places), helping to propel it into the top 50 of our academic league table this year. There is a diverse course portfolio and an undergraduate population of more than 29,000 (of about 36,000 students in total). 

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

Integrated health and social care, and human biosciences have both closed. A new degree in special and inclusive education is scheduled to launch in 2025, subject to approval.

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

With new entrants averaging 130 Ucas points, MMU is in the upper half of UK universities for its entry standards. It is also in demand: MMU attracted 62,000 applications in 2023 (only 5 per cent fewer than the year before’s record number) and admissions neared 10,900 — a new high.

What are the graduate prospects?

Placement years or shorter-term internships are widely available on courses. MMU has partnerships with companies including Leigh Day and Addleshaw Goddard, and offers opportunities for work experience with local small and medium-sized enterprises. Its placement team can also help with CV advice. The university has, however, dropped to joint 94th in our graduate prospects measure, with 71.6 per cent of its graduates in high-skilled jobs or further study 15 months on from completing their degrees.

What is Manchester Metropolitan University’s campus like?

Over the past decade £400 million has been spent on upgrading buildings and facilities. A four-year renovation of the library began in 2024. When it reopens it will house the university’s Special Collection Museum and the Manchester Poetry Library, alongside teaching and research spaces.

The All Saints campus, located near the city centre and bordering Hulme, is home to the £35 million School of Digital Arts (Soda), where students study film, animation, UX design, photography, games design and artificial intelligence. The Manchester Metropolitan Institute of Sport opened in 2022 and aims to inspire the next generation of sporting greats and push the limits of human performance, as well as strengthen communities and build a healthier society. The department of sport and exercise is based there, with leading researchers in musculoskeletal science, sports business experts and specialists from the faculty of health, psychology and social care. 

All Saints also hosts the £75 million business school and engineering buildings. The faculties of education and health are in the Brooks Building, about a ten-minute walk from campus, while the home of science and engineering has been transformed in a £115 million development. The Superlab, intended to boost MMU’s research reputation in science and engineering, and a light engineering workshop are among excellent facilities available to students.

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 and has 10,000 books and recordings. Until the new library is completed, it is based in the arts and humanities building 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 between them.

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

What do the students say? 

“You’ll be hard pressed to find a better city for students than Manchester — a bustling hub of culture and history. The campus boasts state-of-the-art facilities and comfortable accommodation, and the support and services offered to students are second to none.”
Ethan Romer, MMU students’ union president and a graduate of zoology with placement year

What about student accommodation at Manchester Metropolitan University?

The university had 3,165 spaces in halls for 2023-24. 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 the rental deposit before the end of July.

How diverse and inclusive is Manchester Metropolitan University?

Nearly half of its recruits are the first in their family to go to university (49.7 per cent) and almost all (94.5 per cent) went to non-selective state schools. But overall MMU sits outside the upper half of our social inclusion index for England and Wales, in 82nd place.

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

A range of awards includes the £750-a-year support package for UK undergraduates and foundation-year students from households with an income of £25,000 or less. There are also £1,500 bursaries for first-generation students who have completed a pre-entry programme. In 2023 more than 500 students received a scholarship, bursary or prize funded by one of the university’s donors.