University of Portsmouth

Based in the UK’s only “island city” — separated from the mainland by the Portsea creek — students get to enjoy surf and turf at Portsmouth that offers city lights and seaside delights. From athletics to sailing, Portsmouth has a sports club for it and its sports scholarships of up £3,000 attract talented student athletes. 

The university is guided by the educational adage to “teach well, consistently well”, and under its ethos students are expected to bring their A-game to campus as well as to digital learning. The blended approach is paying off with low dropout rates among undergraduates, helping the university to a three-place rise in our main academic ranking. It is also among a minority of universities to reach the top half of our main academic table (52nd) while achieving a similar ranking in our social inclusion index (46th). 

Portsmouth also has links with London — it has a campus in Walthamstow, while a partnership with King’s College London (KCL) enhances dental clinical experience. Under the same partnership, the second cohort of Portsmouth medical students enrolled in autumn 2025 on a four-year graduate-entry course with a medical degree awarded by KCL. 

What is the University of Portsmouth’s reputation? 

Portsmouth earned gold overall in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), underpinned by gold for the student experience and silver for student outcomes. The TEF panel said Portsmouth showed outstanding tailored “approaches that are highly effective”.

Students concur. Their feedback keeps Portsmouth in the upper reaches of our latest National Student Survey analysis, despite a dip in form this year which leaves Portsmouth 41= for teaching quality (down from 28=) and 32= for the broad experience (a nine-place decline). 

The institution’s roots can be traced to the Portsmouth and Gosport School of Science and Art, established in 1870. University status came in 1992. A growing focus on research paid off in Portsmouth’s results in the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021), which moved the university into the top half of our research quality index (61st). Physics led the way with 100 per cent of its REF submission rated world-leading or internationally excellent. 

Like much of the higher education sector, Portsmouth has been hit by financial troubles. In March 2024 the university announced redundancies as part of an “academic reset” and faculties may be merged in the future.  

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

Four new courses are planned for 2026: musical theatre; humanities and social sciences; counterterrorism, intelligence and cybercrime; and marketing management. 

What are the University of Portsmouth’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?

Portsmouth did not supply up-to-date figures for admissions or entry offers, citing commercial sensitivity. In 2023-24, new entrants averaged 115 Ucas points, putting Portsmouth just outside the top 100 for entry standards. After a ten-year downward trend in applications, 2024 had an uplift of 1,525 applicants to 21,450.

What are the graduate prospects?

Entrants benefit from Portsmouth’s new “connected degrees” approach, which allows students to take a work placement year before their final year, or after to explore options. Based on three-quarters (75.1 per cent) of leavers being employed in highly skilled jobs or postgraduate study 15 months after finishing their degree, Portsmouth ranks 67= for graduate prospects. 

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What is the University of Portsmouth campus like?

A £250 million development programme is set to transform the main city campus over the next decade. Much of the recent investment is in simulation facilities to give students hands-on training. Healthcare students, for example, learn to dispense medicines in a pharmacy and to treat NHS patients at a dental clinic. At the £7 million Centre for Creative and Immersive Extended Reality, students have access to the latest XR technologies. The Guildhall campus has a remodelled library and hosts the Future Technology Centre. 

Portsmouth also has a University Centre in Basingstoke, offering professional courses in partnership with the University of Reading.

When can I visit?

port.ac.uk

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

Portsmouth offers a lively nightlife and students have their pick of local beaches. The university’s extensive sports facilities at the £57 million Ravelin Sports Centre include a ski simulator as well as squash courts and a 175-station fitness centre. There is also an eight-lane 25m swimming pool and a climbing wall from the basement to the roof. The smaller Langstone campus, on the outskirts of Portsmouth, is dedicated to outdoor sport. The university has more than 35 competitive sports clubs. Portsmouth also has a volunteering programme that offers opportunities such as youth and adult coaching and refereeing.

Students can self-refer online to wellbeing advisers and access same-day appointments. Portsmouth has links with the NHS Talking Therapies service, and an external online counselling service matches students depending on cultural or language needs. 

What do the students say?

“Fabulous global opportunities, exceptional career support, outstanding teaching, an excellent student experience and support every step of the way. It’s also a great place to live, with fantastic weather, cultural diversity and a beautiful landscape.”
Henry Obanya, PhD in ecotoxicology and environmental monitoring

What about student accommodation at the University of Portsmouth?

New students who apply by the June deadline and make Portsmouth their firm choice are guaranteed accommodation. About 60 per cent of first-years live in halls.

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How diverse and inclusive is the University of Portsmouth?

The university has entered the top 50 in our social inclusion index (46th) and performs strongly in the numbers of disabled students (22nd), white working-class males (26th) and those from low-participation areas (29=).

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

Financial support includes a £500 annual bursary for all students with a household income of less than £25,000, a care leaver bursary worth £1,700 a year, and a £1,000-a-year bursary for estranged students. 

Portsmouth Football Club contributes one scholarship of £3,000 a year for students in the local area from low-income homes, or who are the first in their family to go to university. 

Sport scholarships worth between £2,000 and £6,000 are awarded to about 20 talented athletes a year, and sanctuary scholarships are also offered.