Good University Guide 2023

University of Roehampton

National rank

101
st
70.6
%
Firsts / 2:1s
78.6
%
Completion rate

Key stats

71
st=
Teaching quality
54
th=
Student experience
48
th
Research quality
125
th=
Graduate prospects
University of Roehampton

Contact details

Address

Grove House, Roehampton Lane, London , SW15 5PJ,

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Telephone

Roehampton has embarked on a controversial restructuring of its portfolio of courses, dropping some arts and humanities degrees and introducing more “career-focused” degrees. The first phase, which expanded nursing and computing provision, has boosted the demand for places, with 25 per cent growth in applications for undergraduate programmes at the official deadline in 2022. But the second phase, which requires more than 100 academics to reapply for their jobs while degrees such as classics, drama, creative writing and philosophy are removed from the curriculum, has been the subject of protests by staff and students.

The university says it is responding to “evolving student demand” and growing financial challenges, aiming to provide an excellent student experience and deliver successful graduate outcomes in a sustainable way. There were 17 new degrees introduced in 2022-23, from computing web development and cybersecurity to English language and linguistics, children’s nursing and a BA in liberal arts, which allows students to create their own degree programme from a range of options in humanities, social sciences and the arts before specialising. 

Children’s nursing will be taught in a £1 million clinical simulation centre at Croydon College, which already offers adult nursing as part of a strategic partnership with Roehampton. The university also has study centres in central London, Birmingham and Manchester, where business and computing degrees are taught by staff from QA Higher Education, a private company.

Roehampton’s main location, however, is an attractive 54-acre campus on the edge of Richmond Park, in southwest London, which blends historic buildings with modern facilities in a woodland setting. A Bloomberg trading room is scheduled to open in September 2022, as is a healthcare hub to accommodate the growing provision in this area. A business laboratory opened in 2022, providing space for students to develop their entrepreneurship activities.

Another recent addition was the £13 million Sir David Bell Building, which houses Roehampton’s digital media hub. Students have access to industry-standard film studios, editing suites and newsrooms, and can use resources for media, photography and sound production. There is a cinema and computing facilities, with study spaces and a gallery area for student displays and creative industry events.

The university has dropped 36 places in our league table, despite improving its rankings for student satisfaction and performing well in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). Its research quality is in our top 50, making it the highest-placed non-specialist modern university. Three-quarters of the research across 11 different areas was rated as world-leading or internationally excellent, the top two categories. However, Roehampton remains outside the top 100 for entry standards, graduate prospects, good honours and course completion.

Roehampton does much better in our social inclusion index, where a seven-place rise has brought it up to 23rd.  Almost all the undergraduates are from non-selective state schools or colleges, nearly two-thirds from ethnic minorities, and more than half are the first in their family to go to university.

The university was upgraded to silver in the Teaching Excellence Framework in 2019. The panel was impressed by the reduction in the attainment gap for black, Asian and minority ethnic students, and for support to find work experience.

Roehampton is based around four historic constituent colleges — Digby Stuart, Froebel, Southlands and Whitelands, which pioneered the training of women as teachers. Education courses remain a significant area for Roehampton. The colleges all have religious or humanist origins but have long been open to students of all faiths or none. 

Each college has a student wellbeing officer and the university’s Mental Health Network runs a peer-mentoring scheme that pairs students with a trained colleague. A free, confidential short-term counselling service is offered to all students, in tandem with therapeutic groups and workshops. 

The sports facilities, which include four dance studios, are excellent. Gym Roehampton, on campus, is run by Nuffield Health. The university is also a leader in esports and has a dedicated room for multiplayer video game competitions. 

Roehampton offered the UK’s first esports scholarships, worth £1,500 a year for talented students, as well as Europe’s first Women in Esports scholarships, offered with the aim of increasing diversity in the field. The subject’s popularity is not limited to those studying related degrees — esports has become the largest of the university’s many student societies. 

Within easy reach of central London but offering a campus community environment, Roehampton claims to offer a best-of-both-worlds experience. All first-years are guaranteed accommodation in one of the 1,676 on-campus hall rooms if they make Roehampton their firm choice and apply by mid-June. The same guarantee is offered to second and third-year students. Bus services between the campus and local stations at Barnes and Wimbledon, e-bikes and “college kitchens” support commuting students.

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Performance

Category Score Rank
Ranking - 101 (65)
Teaching quality 74.9 71st=
Student experience 72.4 54th=
Research quality 45.9 48th
Ucas entry points 102 129th
Graduate prospects 62.4 125th=
Firsts and 2:1s 70.6 112th=
Completion rate 78.6 108th=
Student-staff ratio 18.3 102nd

Vital statistics

Undergraduates

Full-time

9,179

Part-time

226

Postgraduates

Full-time

2,074

Part-time

953

Applications/places 7,730/1,585
Applications/places ratio 4.9:1
Overall offer rate 87%

Accommodation

Places in accommodation 1,676
Accommodation costs £131.25 - £194.25
Accommodation contact www.roehampton.ac.uk/accommodation/

Finance

UK/EU fees £9,250
Fees (placement year) £925
Fees (overseas year) £6,580
Fees (international) £13,705 - £17,295
Finance website https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/undergraduate-courses/tuition-fees/
Graduate salaries £23,000

Sport

Sport points/rank 82, 99th
Sport website https://www.roehampton.ac.uk/student-life/sport-roehampton/

Social inclusion and student mix

Social Inclusion Ranking 23
State schools (non-grammar) admissions 97%
Grammar school admissions 0.7%
Independent school admissions 2.3%
Ethnic minority students (all) 64.8%
Black achievement gap -18.4%
White working class males 5.6%
First generation students 52%
Low participation areas 4.4%
Working class dropout gap 2.9%
Mature 36.4%
EU students 3.6%
Other overseas students 8%

Student satisfaction with teaching quality

Classics and ancient history 94.1%
Creative writing 91.3%
History 90.6%
Theology and religious studies 89.2%
Nursing 86.7%
English 83.9%
Sports science 80.9%
Education 77.2%
Accounting and finance 76.6%
Animal science 76.3%
Law 73.2%
Biological sciences 72.8%
Business, management and marketing 72.5%
Criminology 71.5%
Sociology 71.5%
Subjects allied to medicine 70.8%
Communication and media studies 70%
Psychology 68.4%
Drama, dance and cinematics 65.7%