A campus university in the capital’s commuter belt, Royal Holloway is famed for its showstopping Founder’s Building — a Victorian redbrick masterpiece modelled on a French chateau. Students can study in splendour in the Founder’s reading room, and those housed in its historic architecture may get a taste of turret living, depending on their room allocation, and meals in the grand dining hall. The academic departments — and most halls — are in purpose-built facilities dotted around the university’s 135-acre parkland campus.
Pioneering from the outset, Royal Holloway was formed from two colleges, each among the first places in Britain where women could access higher education (the novelist George Eliot was an alumna). A research culture prevails and Royal Holloway is pushing boundaries in the UK's film, TV, and performance industries as the lead partner for the CoStar (convergent screen technologies and performance in real time) National Lab for research and development in the creative industries — a £75.6 million investment by the UK government. It is also a centre of excellence in cybersecurity research. Student societies cater to all tastes and if the local social scene in Egham and Windsor falls short, London’s bright lights are a train hop away.
What is Royal Holloway’s reputation?
In an impressive performance by Royal Holloway in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 88 per cent of its work was assessed as world-leading or internationally excellent, led by success in music, communication and media studies, and geography and ranking 26= in our research quality rating. There are 55 research centres across wide-ranging academic fields, from the Centre for Algorithms and Applications to the Centre for Workplace Research in Asian Societies. Royal Holloway gained triple silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), and won praise for “the use of research in relevant disciplines, innovation, scholarship, professional practice and employer engagement”. Rising rates of student satisfaction, based on our analysis of the latest National Student Survey, rank Royal Holloway 30= (up 18 places) for the broad experience and 83= (up ten places) for satisfaction with teaching quality.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
A two-year Diploma of Higher Education in health studies and a one-year Certificate of Higher Education in health and social care are new for 2025. A BSc in marketing is in development for 2026 entry.
Thirty-six BA and BSc courses have been discontinued (check the university website for further details).
What are Royal Holloway’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Standard offers range from AAA to CCC with a contextual offer policy up to two grades lower for applicants who qualify under a range of widening access criteria. Demand for places has fallen a little after the peak of 2023. In 2024 nearly 4,000 undergraduates were accepted onto courses.
What are the graduate prospects?
Employer events run by the careers service include large-scale jobs fairs, meet-the-employer sessions, and an annual diversity fair. Royal Holloway’s Skills for Choice and Opportunity framework aims to support students in building 12 key skills required by employers. Responses to the Graduate Outcomes survey place the university in the top half (45th) for the proportion of graduates in professional-level jobs or further study 15 months after finishing their degree.
What is Royal Holloway’s campus like?
Based in Egham, Surrey, the leafy, spacious campus is about 40 minutes from central London. The world-class SuperFab “cleanroom” has advanced physics facilities and hosts the UK Centre for Superconducting and Hybrid Quantum Systems. There are new recording studios on campus and a Futures Studio for students and creative technology businesses, equipped with a virtual production environment. The Boilerhouse and the Caryl Churchill theatres provide space for students of drama, theatre, and dance, and there are also dedicated film studios and editing suites.
Royal Holloway has its own observatory and a recently opened a £2 million hangar as part of the Omnidrome Research and Innovation Centre, which has 895 sq m space for the development and testing of specialist air, land, and water drones.
When can I visit?
royalholloway.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about Royal Holloway’s student life and wellbeing support
With more than 80 sports teams and good facilities, Royal Holloway has a strong sporting tradition. There is a fitness studio and multi-use sports hall on campus and outdoor facilities such as a 3G pitch and tennis courts. The university also has the use of a boathouse on the Thames.
Societies cater to a range of interests and faiths. The Sikh society holds Langar on Campus to provide a free vegetarian meal and there is also an annual LGBTQ+ festival. Art and cultural activities take place across the campus, including music performances and art exhibitions at the Picture Gallery. Concerts and recitals are a regular part of campus life and each summer the School of Performing Arts runs the week-long Play! festival.
A wellbeing department provides broad support encompassing mental health, disability and neurodiversity. There is access to counselling as well as help with financial wellbeing.
What do the students say?
“We’re a tight-knit community, and studying on such a beautiful campus makes it even more special. I met my closest friends through student-led activities, and I’ve developed so many transferable skills like leadership, teamwork, and project management.”
Sharanya Sivarajah, 2023 graduate in politics, philosophy and economics
What about student accommodation at Royal Holloway?
There are 2,867 study bedrooms for undergraduates. Entrants are guaranteed a place as long as they make Royal Holloway their firm choice and meet the application deadline. Twenty per cent of rooms are catered.
How diverse and inclusive is Royal Holloway?
Nearly half of Royal Holloway’s student population is from an ethnic minority background (32nd) and 26 per cent of new undergraduates entered with a contextual offer in September 2024. The university is 71= overall in our social inclusion index, up 11 places compared with our previous edition.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at Royal Holloway
More than three in ten UK undergraduates qualified for bursaries in 2025. Payments range from £500 a year to £3,000 a year for those from low-income households, care leavers and mature students.
A range of competitive scholarships recognise academic, sport and musical achievements.
