University of Southampton

Southampton is steaming ahead with campus developments — opening the £19 million Nuffield Theatre this year and Building 75 in 2027. The latter is the largest element of the university’s £400 million estate plan, and will provide a new campus gateway with lecture theatres, a student hub, academic workspace for the Faculty of Medicine, and a café. A revamp of the concert hall and a flagship Stem building are also in the pipeline at this research-led university on the south coast.

There are more firsts at Southampton — which is striking out by introducing mandatory AI training for all undergraduates. The initiative covers ethics, skills and creativity, with discipline-specific applications. Hackathons and workshops are among the practical learning opportunities being launched to support the AI training, as well as a new AI music lab. 

On another new frontier, the Southampton Space Institute has launched with the aim of leveraging the university’s 65-year heritage in aeronautics and astronautics to drive policy and technology development. 

The university has also soared in our analysis of the National Student Survey 2026 rising ten places for student experience to rank 35=, following a 29-place gain the year before. Thoughtful additions to support student life help; there’s a campus cookery school and a peer support initiative for managing the cost of living.

Southampton has been awarded Purple Flag status, which recognises the city’s safe nightlife. After the first-year buzz, students tend to settle in the Highfield and Portswood areas, which have lively local scenes.

Need to know

Category

Result

Rank

Entry standards (Ucas points)

146

29=

Teaching quality

84.8%

94=

Student experience

84.7%

35=

Research quality

60.1%

14

First and 2:1s

83%

32=

Continuation rate

97.4%

8=

Graduate prospects

78.3%

22

People & Planet

47.5%

88

How much it costs

UK fees

£10,050

Fees (placement year)

£1,955

Fees (overseas year)

£1,465

Fees (international)

£24,400-£32,000

Fees (international, medical)

£32,000-£61,800

Places in accommodation

6,415

Rent per week

£139-£235

Rent for catered accommodation per week

£223-£270

Social inclusion index

Social inclusion ranking

91=

State school (non-grammar) admissions

72.5%

Grammar school admissions

10.2%

Independent school admissions

9.8%

Ethnic minority students

36.1%

Black awarding gap

-11.3%

White working-class males

2.8%

First-generation students

28.8%

Low-participation areas

8.9%

Low-participation areas dropout

-2.5%

Mature students

5.8%

Overseas students

35.8%

Disabled students

23.3%

Student satisfaction with teaching quality

Accounting and finance

86.9%

Aeronautical and manufacturing engineering

87.3%

Archaeology and forensic science

82.7%

Art and design

89.7%

Bioengineering and biomedical engineering

92.2%

Biological sciences

84.5%

Biomedical Sciences

81.9%

Business, management and marketing

81.1%

Chemical engineering

86.5%

Chemistry

89.4%

Civil engineering

92.9%

Communication and media studies

81.1%

Computer science

77%

Criminology

83.8%

Economics

84.5%

Education

91.7%

Electrical and electronic engineering

88.7%

English

93.5%

French

87%

Geography and environmental science

89.2%

Geology

85.8%

German

88.4%

History

89.4%

Iberian languages

89.5%

Law

81.3%

Linguistics

84.1%

Mathematics

80.1%

Mechanical engineering

85.2%

Medicine

81.3%

Music

88.1%

Natural sciences

85.8%

Nursing

87.8%

Philosophy

88.8%

Physics and astronomy

84.1%

Physiotherapy

96.4%

Politics and international relations

76.7%

Psychology

83.8%

Sociology

83.8%

What is the University of Southampton’s academic reputation? 

A top 20 UK university, Southampton’s research performance is outstanding. It ranks 14th in our research quality index, with 90 per cent of its work rated world-leading or internationally excellent in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF). Engineering and computer science produced some of its best research results.The university also holds a solid triple silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023). 

Southampton opened a campus in India last year, offering courses in computer science, business, economics and accountancy. Based in Gurgaon (Gurugram), just outside Delhi, the Indian outpost joins Southampton’s overseas campus in Malaysia, cementing the university’s international outlook.

National Student Survey scores for the student experience have risen, but students’ feedback on teaching quality has been less positive, and Southampton has lost 20 places to rank 94= in our latest NSS analysis. 

The university has a new vice-chancellor, Charlie Jeffery, who takes up the role in October. 

• The best universities in the UK: the Sunday Times league table revealed

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

Typical entry requirements range from A*AA to BBC at A-level. Southampton’s contextual offers can reduce the standard requirement by up to two grades for eligible students, and benefited about a quarter of new entrants in 2025. Demand is high and the number of accepted applicants was at a record level — with more than 6,200 new undergraduates, 21.5 per cent of whom gained their places through clearing. 

What are the graduate prospects and how will the university help me get career-ready?

Southampton is in the top 20 most targeted universities by the largest number of top employers, according to the latest High Fliers Graduate Market report. It also places 22nd in our graduate prospects index, based on 78.3 per cent of its graduates in high-skilled jobs or postgraduate study 15 months after finishing. The Successful Futures programme embeds career planning and employability across all programmes and there are hundreds of internships available. Students can also take part in innovation projects to resolve a business challenge over a four-week period. A new initiative, Career Advantage, is tailored for international students. 

What is the University of Southampton’s campus like?

The university’s six sites in Southampton are within easy reach of each other, with the headquarters at the Highfield campus, and the Winchester School of Art is ten miles north of the city. The renowned National Oceanography Centre is at the Waterfront campus and the £140 million Boldrewood Innovation Campus is the main engineering hub, and houses the National Infrastructure Laboratory and the business school.

When can I visit?

southampton.ac.uk

Everything you need to know about the University of Southampton’s student life

The Jubilee Sports Centre on the main campus has a 200-station gym and a 25m pool. Making the most of its location, the university has three water sports centres. Southampton teams finished 25th in the British Universities and Colleges Sport league 2024-25.

The university’s John Hansard Gallery and Turner Sims music venue offer on-campus culture, while the proximity to sandy beaches and the New Forest provides natural escapes.

Consent and active bystander training is mandatory, and counsellors and solution-focused wellbeing advice are available. A “Welcome to Southampton” module supports the academic transition to higher education and the Student Hub runs engagement activities. The city is a good size for school-leavers dipping their toes into independent living.

• Here’s how five students started their own business

What do the students say?

“This university is filled with passionate lecturers who go above and beyond to ensure greater understanding of the material. Through my involvement in societies and my position as a course representative, I can now confidently speak in front of large crowds, which will help with the career I eventually choose.”

Afia Minhas, second-year BEng chemical engineering 

What about student accommodation at the University of Southampton?

The university guarantees accommodation in a single room for all applicants who apply by the July 1 deadline. Options include accommodation to suit a quieter lifestyle, tee-totallers and LGBTQ+ students.

How diverse and inclusive is the University of Southampton?

A seven-place uplift in our social inclusion ranking takes Southampton to 91= overall, and fifth among Russell Group members of England and Wales. It is in the top half of universities for the proportion of students from ethnic minority backgrounds, who represent 36.1 per cent of the intake. Southampton provides a variety of summer school programmes for young people, ranging from subject-specific to broader courses, with options that are either free — such as the Sutton Trust widening participation programme — or paid. Southampton runs programmes to support students from primary school to sixth-form.

• How much more will you earn over a lifetime with a degree?

What financial assistance is available?

About a quarter of UK undergraduates receive a bursary of £1,000 or £2,000 per academic year, based on household incomes of up to £36,200. Care-experienced and estranged students qualify for £2,000 bursaries. A number of merit-based scholarships are also available, with values ranging from £1,000 to £10,000 tuition fee waivers.