A fixture of our top ten for a decade — and The Sunday Times University of the Year in 2022 — the University of Bath holds its own without being a member of the Russell Group. Its leafy self-contained campus is on the outskirts of the Unesco world heritage city of Bath, with its just-big-enough charms. The university, established in 1966, offers courses in engineering, humanities, management, science and social science. It is famed for its sporting prowess and renowned placement scheme that ensures employability is ingrained within its undergraduate programmes. 

What is the University of Bath’s reputation?

The university earned triple gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), for the overall assessment, student experience and student outcomes. Assessors praised its “course content and delivery” which “inspire … students to actively engage in and commit to their learning”. They also highlighted students’ “access to a wide range of outstanding quality academic support”, as well as their outstanding rates of successful progression.

Bath students echo the TEF findings, our analysis of the National Student Survey results shows: it comes a more-than-respectable 6th place for the wider student experience and 36th for teaching quality, from 4th and 41= positions respectively last year. Learning through practice – a key feature of a Bath education – helps to generate such contentment.

Bath’s history of collaborations with regional and national industry partners is reflected in its teaching and research. For almost half a century it has been at the forefront of automotive propulsion research and the new £70 million Institute for Advanced Propulsion Systems will continue to develop the next generation of ultra-low and zero-emission vehicles.

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), 92 per cent of Bath’s submissions were rated world-leading or internationally excellent, placing Bath in the top 30 of our research quality index. Its best research results were in pharmacy and pharmacology; chemistry; business and management; social policy; sport and exercise sciences, and engineering. 

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

An integrated master’s degree in pharmacy is new for 2024, as a joint programme with the University of Plymouth, where students will be based. No courses are being discontinued.

What are the University of Bath’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?

With each year’s admissions cycle comes another record-breaking number of applications to Bath. In 2023 more than 34,000 hopefuls applied to the university and 4,750 new students gained places – 3.5 per cent of them via clearing and 1,000 of them international students.

Bath’s highest entry requirements of A*A*A are demanded by its computer science and mechanical engineering degrees, while its lowest – BBB – apply to social work and applied social studies programmes. Contextual offers automatically reduce the course requirement by one grade. About 30 per cent of offer holders have qualified for the scheme in recent years. Guaranteed offers go to applicants who successfully complete one of Bath’s access schemes.

What are the graduate prospects?

Bath’s exemplary record for the proportion of graduates in highly skilled jobs or further study within 15 months of finishing their degree has barely missed a beat in the latest Graduate Outcomes survey. Our analysis puts Bath seventh, falling one place since our previous edition. Two thirds of undergraduates spend a year gaining real-world work experience. The university’s work placement scheme has links with more than 3,000 organisations around the world, while its careers service arranges up to 400 employer visits each year. Most courses also offer opportunities to study abroad.

What is the University of Bath’s campus like?

Claverton Down, the main campus, has 200 acres of landscaped grounds on the eastern side of the city. The latest landmark development is a £70 million School of Management, opened in 2022. The glass and steel building has nine lecture theatres and a 250-seat auditorium, along with social and study places, a student entrepreneurship hub and a behavioural research laboratory.

An employability hub was added at the heart of the campus in 2023 and student support facilities have been redesigned.

By the time students arrive in September 2025 the John Wood accommodation will have been redeveloped with extra study and social spaces.

Everything you need to know about the University of Bath’s student life and wellbeing support

You don’t have to be sporty to be a Bath student, but it would be a shame to miss out on its extraordinary resources for getting active. New additions for 2024 include a full-size 3G artificial pitch and a multi-use outdoor area the size of three netball courts – both floodlit.The £35 million Sports Training Village is a national training centre for several Olympic and Paralympic sports and students have free use of most of its facilities. 

Students can get up to speed using an Olympic-sized swimming pool, indoor and outdoor tennis courts, more than 20 sports pitches and a fitness centre featuring nearly 200 workout stations. The Sulis Club about a mile from campus has more grass pitches. Bath’s continuing development programme brought the opening of the Wheelchair Fencing National Training Centre Bath in 2022 and an English Institute of Sport health and performance studio for athlete rehabilitation. Bath also has the UK’s only bobsleigh and skeleton push-start track.  

It’s not all sport, sport, sport though. More than 180 student groups offer the chance to participate in art, dance, music and theatre events. The Edge is the campus hub for creative activities, next to the Sports Training Village.

Help for students’ mental health and welfare is available around the clock, from support groups to specialist one-to-one counselling. Free courses offer advice on handling anxiety and one is called, simply, “How to have a good day”. 

What do the students say?

“There’s no other place I’d rather be. Bath not only provided me with a fairytale town, but also an unbeatable campus life and vibrant and diverse community. It is a perfect place to balance academics, extracurricular and Friday night clubbing! The university has helped me step out of my bubble and comfort zone and make the most of my potential.”
Tanisha Aggarwal, politics and international relations student

What about student accommodation in the University of Bath?

There are enough rooms available for first-years who apply by the deadline. About one fifth are part-catered via pre-paid credits for campus eateries and a small number are fully catered.  

How diverse and inclusive is the University of Bath?

Social inclusion is a work in progress at Bath, which ranks 108th overall, losing ground by two places since our previous edition. Students from ethnic minorities make up about 20 per cent of the Bath intake and just 2.3 per cent are over 21. 

Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at the University of Bath

About 30 per cent of Bath’s new entrants gained scholarships and bursaries in 2024. Support for UK students focuses on supporting those from low-income households and includes the Bath Bursary — worth to £2,750 in year one and £2,000 from year two onwards (excluding paid placement years). Up to 50 Gold Scholarships are available for those from households with an income below £30,000, providing a package worth up to £5,000 a year for the duration of a degree and a compulsory enrichment programme including volunteering, mentoring and skills training. A small number of talent-based arts and sports scholarships are available too. Based on academic merit, international students may qualify for fee discounts in the first year of study.