Student life is shipshape at Greenwich’s historic Dreadnought building, which houses resources ranging from the students’ union, bar and gym to the university radio station. Occupying a world heritage site, it makes an imposing centrepiece to Greenwich’s estate, which also includes campuses at Avery Hill in southeast London and at Medway in Kent. Greenwich’s drive to grow to more than 40,000 students appears to be on track, with international student recruitment soaring from 150 new starters in 2015 to nearly 2,000 in 2024. A choice of 130 societies provide ample opportunities to find like-minded friends. Each campus has its own local amusements, but for bigger nights out students tend to hop on the Tube to central London.
What is the University of Greenwich’s reputation?
In 1890 Greenwich became one of the UK’s first polytechnics — Woolwich Polytechnic — and it has been a university since 1992. In September 2025 it announced a new chapter in its history: a partnership with the University of Kent to form a new “super-university”, the London and South East University Group. Professor Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich said: “Our vision is to deliver education without boundaries, from city to coast.”
It is scheduled to be established for the 2026/2027 academic year, subject to due diligence. Its latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) helped it to go up one place to joint 73rd in our research rankings. Double the number of academic staff were entered (400), and agriculture, building and food science produced some of the best results.
The university can boast two recent Nobel laureate associations. Abiy Ahmed became Africa’s youngest leader aged 42 — as prime minister of Ethiopia — and went on to win the Nobel peace prize in 2019. Sir Charles Kao, who died in 2018, won the prize for physics in 2009 for his “groundbreaking” research in fibre optics.
The university gained government accreditation as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research and received £9 million in funding for computer modelling. Its Natural Resources Institute has been recognised for its work developing solutions to tackle pests that cause famine and disease.Greenwich was rated gold overall in the government’s Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), a step up from its previous silver rating. However, student satisfaction has waned and it sits in the lower half of the table, at 79= for teaching quality and 72= for student experience.
Even so, Greenwich has gained two places in this year’s main academic ranking, entering the top 100.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
A broad course offering gained 18 new options in 2025, including civil and construction engineering, entrepreneurship and innovation, digital marketing and advertising, and primary education studies.
What are the University of Greenwich’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
Standard offers range from 128 to 104 Ucas tariff points. Contextual offers (16 points lower) are available. Greenwich attracted more than 29,000 applications for its 2024 entry, and more than 8,600 new students were accepted, up 18 per cent since the previous year.
What are the graduate prospects?
Greenwich has links with organisations that include Alcatel Submarine Networks and Charlton Athletic Football Club. Professional placements are built into some courses. However, graduate prospects remain one of Greenwich’s weaker suits, and it ranks 100th in our rankings based on the proportion of graduates in high-skilled jobs or further study 15 months after leaving.
What is the University of Greenwich campus like?
The Stockwell Street development in Greenwich has a landscaped roof terrace, large architecture studio, model-making workshop and television and sound studios. At the nearby Avery Hill campus, facilities include a refit of a Victorian mansion, which has added three clinical skills laboratories and a library.
At Chatham, the university shares the Medway campus with the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. Here, Greenwich has a newly acquired building in Gillingham, which has boosted teaching facilities.
More than 50 of Greenwich’s courses now include sustainability modules, and the university is making progress towards its goal of net-zero carbon by 2030. All university buses are electric and the Avery Hill campus has an air source heat pump. Next, it is applying decarbonising methods to its historic buildings.
When can I visit?
gre.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about the University of Greenwich’s student life and wellbeing support
There are gyms and student centres at all three campuses including an indoor 3G training facility shared with Charlton Athletic FC. Known for its cute market and the Cutty Sark ship, Greenwich is also packed with bars, clubs and restaurants, and the O2 arena is nearby. Wellbeing services include one-to-one counselling and a chaplaincy.
What do the students say?
“You are part of a vibrant, diverse community that supports academic success and personal growth. The students' union offers countless opportunities to connect, engage and make a difference.”
Gullapalli Amrutha Srivarshini, GSU officer
What about student accommodation at the University of Greenwich?
First-years are guaranteed a room in halls of residence if they apply before the June 30 deadline. Student residences in Boylen at the Avery Hill campus are freshly upgraded.
How diverse and inclusive is the University of Greenwich?
Greenwich has dropped 13 places to 33rd in our social inclusion table. Its proportion of ethnic minority students has increased to 67.3 per cent, making it 15th on that measure, and it ranks 8th on taking students from low-participation areas. A broad programme of outreach activities helps widen access.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at the University of Greenwich
Around four in ten new entrants received a financial award from Greenwich in 2025. Extensive support includes means-tested financial help for those from low-income households, such as commuter bursaries worth up to £1,000 a year and the one-off £700 Greenwich Bursary.
A choral exhibition bursary worth £1,000 per year of study (up to three years) is open to all students who successfully audition to join the University of Greenwich choir.
Those who enrol having participated in at least five of Greenwich’s GREat Skills outreach activities qualify for a £2,000 scholarship.
