A gold rating in the government's Teaching Excellence Framework adds to the appeal of Swansea's seaside location. Assessors praised the university’s clear employability strategy and strong staff-student partnerships.

The university has had glowing reviews over the years in the National Student Survey (NSS). The latest results from summer 2022, however, reveal a less contented student community than usual as Swansea's undergraduates grapple with the ongoing impact of the pandemic on university life. The university has dropped out of the top 30 for our NSS-derived measures for teaching quality (down 56 places) and the wider student experience (down 51 places. In-person teaching only is the prevalent model for the coming academic year – which should help to return student satisfaction to its former high levels. 

With 78.1 per cent of graduates in high-skilled jobs or postgraduate study 15 months after finishing their degree, the university ranks only just outside the UK top 40 on our graduate prospects measure. Industry links are deep-rooted and the university has more than 500 key partnerships across 53 countries with organisations such as Rolls-Royce, Tata Steel, Ospreys Rugby and Pfizer. Many of Swansea's business partners have research bases at the Bay Campus.

Career-boosting support includes the Swansea Employability Academy, which provides paid internships and co-ordinates programmes for career development. At the last count more than 600 organisations were advertising 43,000 jobs and offering networking opportunities to Swansea alumni. 

Swansea has shifted its academic structure in the past year from seven colleges to three faculties: Medicine, Health and Life Science; Humanities and Social Sciences; and Science and Engineering. A broadening curriculum gains degrees in biomedical engineering; criminology and sociology; leadership for global challenges; and computer science and artificial intelligence. A BSc in environmental science and the climate emergency is another recent addition and, like many of Swansea's degrees, it can be taken as a four-year course with a year spent in industry or abroad. 

Applications boomed in 2021, rising by about 16 per cent to surpass 20,000 for the first time. New student enrolments went up much less steeply but also hit a record, while about one in five of 2021’s new entrants gained their places via clearing. 

A research profile in the upper third of universities enhances Swansea’s academic reputation. In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) 86 per cent of the university’s work was rated world-leading or internationally excellent (the top categories). Medicine and life science; allied health subjects; mathematics; and geography produced some of the best results. The university’s research income has increased by 160 per cent since the previous national research assessment in 2014, up from £148 million to £286 million.

Research facilities are being developed all the time. A Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials opened in 2021. It follows the £35 million Institute for Innovative Materials, Processing and Numerical Technologies (known as Impact), where industry and academics are collaborating in advanced engineering and materials. 

The £20 million Sports Village beside the Singleton campus has an athletics track, grass and all-weather pitches, squash and tennis courts, plus an indoor athletics training centre and 80-station gym. There are 50-metre and 25-metre pools at the Wales National Pool next door. Bay Campus, which has a sports hall, gym and two outdoor multi-use areas, is gaining a covered multicourt sports development and a World Rugby and Fifa-compliant 3G surface. At Singleton Park, the No 1 hockey pitch has been resurfaced with the same international-standard material that was used at the Tokyo Olympics. 

The university’s grass and 3G pitches at Fairfield, five miles away, were built in partnership with Swansea City Football Club. As well as the Ospreys, the university also has links with the Scarlets professional rugby club.

The students’ union hosts more than 150 student societies — with the aim of offering something for everyone. Swansea offers a lively social scene at wallet-friendly prices. Mumbles seaside resort nearby is also popular for nights out. Further west, the Gower Peninsula has some of the UK’s finest beaches including Rhossili and Three Cliffs Bay.

The university has more than 4,300 residential spaces — enough to guarantee accommodation to all first-years who apply by June 30. Bay Campus has direct access to the beach and houses about 2,000 students in on-site halls of residence – some of them designated for Welsh speakers.