A leading university in the green and pleasant English commuter belt, the University of Surrey occupies two leafy campuses in Guildford. Founded in 1891 as Battersea Polytechnic Institute, before expansion led to a move to Surrey in 1962, the most recent addition is a School of Medicine, whose first 34 government-funded places for UK medical students start this autumn.
Students rate the sense of community fostered on campus — whether at the on-site Rubix nightclub or basking by the lake.
What is the University of Surrey’s reputation?
Surrey has dropped ten places from last year, ranking 31st in our main academic table. Its research pedigree is excellent, placing it 29th for research quality, with 41 per cent of its work assessed as “world-leading” in the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021). Economics produced some of the best results.
Its hospitality and tourism courses are a magnet for students worldwide, judged to be top in Britain and 16th in the world in the 2025 QS World University Rankings.The university secured a triple silver rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023), where assessors commended its “effective engagement with students”. This is reflected in the National Student Survey, where Surrey consistently ranks in the upper tiers for student satisfaction, placing it in the top 25 this year for teaching quality and the overall student experience.
Like many UK universities, Surrey has faced financial pressures, reporting a deficit for 2023-24 which it is addressing through cost-saving measures. Surrey is among the universities planning to open a campus in India’s Gift City, subject to approval.
What degree courses have been discontinued and what new courses are available?
From 2025 Surrey has withdrawn its courses in biological sciences — including three specialisms: animal biology and ecology, cellular and molecular sciences, and infection and immunity.
New courses include games design, international airline and airport management, criminology and psychology, politics and international relations, and law (environmental and sustainability pathway) LLB.
What are the University of Surrey’s entry requirements — and my chances of getting in?
The minimum requirement is CCC; the highest is AAA. Surrey’s contextual admissions policy, introduced for 2022 to widen participation, has proved successful, with almost a third (32 per cent) of its students qualifying for a two-grade reduction in A-level entry requirements.
What are the graduate prospects?
The university’s longstanding focus on producing work-ready graduates pays off: Surrey is at 17= for graduate prospects, based on 83.7 per cent of its graduates in high-skilled jobs or further study 15 months on from finishing their degrees, our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes survey shows. It works with more than 2,000 employers, including Amazon, Unilever and Sky, and a student-focused business incubator, the Surrey Hatchery, is managed by the university’s business school.
What is the University of Surrey campus like?
Surrey’s campus is packed with modern, purpose-built facilities. Key developments include the £45 million School of Veterinary Medicine and the Kate Granger Building, which houses clinical simulation suites for training nurses, midwives and paramedics. The university provides outstanding hands-on learning resources across all disciplines, including a moot court for law, a crime scene flat for criminology, a TV studio with a Dolby Atmos surround-sound suite, and an advanced Energy Hub for battery technology and green hydrogen research.
The £36 million Sports Park offers world-class facilities, including an Olympic-sized swimming pool and a 120-station gym. On the arts scene, more than 20 productions are staged annually across four university theatres.
When can I visit?
surrey.ac.uk
Everything you need to know about the University of Surrey’s student life and wellbeing support
Under the Team Surrey banner there are more than 45 sports clubs for all abilities. The Sports Park is the place to have a go at everything from badminton to korfball. Extensive indoor and outdoor facilities are up to par for top teams including Harlequins rugby union, Surrey Scorchers basketball and Guildford City Swimming Club. Students can earn rewards for keeping active through the SurreyMoves+ app. On the arts and culture scene, there are music groups, including a big band, string orchestra and alternative music society. The Surrey New Writers Festival runs each spring and there is an annual Morag Morris Poetry Lecture, as well as foreign film screenings and sessions with the university’s poet and writer in residence.
MySurrey Dots hubs have popped up around the campuses, which provide spaces for study, clubs, socialising and events. The Centre for Wellbeing offers virtual, phone and in-person appointments from Monday to Friday, and students have access to a consultation with a counsellor or a one-to-one meeting with the mental health practitioner team and can be referred to outside agencies. Guildford is a reassuring environment for students, being not too big and not too small and surrounded by countryside.
What do the students say?
“Boasting over 170 clubs and societies and student-staff partnerships and projects, everyone can find a home at Surrey.”
Liam White, president of the Students’ Union
What about student accommodation at the University of Surrey?
First-years who have chosen Surrey as their firm choice and apply by the deadline are guaranteed a place in halls of residence — some costing less than £100 a week. Surrey can also offer rooms to students who come through clearing.
How diverse and inclusive is the University of Surrey?
Ranking 84th in our social inclusion index, Surrey is among the country's more ethnically diverse institutions, with 47.1 per cent of its students from black, Asian or minority ethnic backgrounds. Its contextual admissions policy has also proven successful, with almost a third of students qualifying for a two-grade A-level reduction.
Everything you need to know about scholarships and bursaries at the University of Surrey
Around 10 per cent of UK undergraduates receive the main bursary, worth £3,000 a year, for students from households with incomes of less than £25,000 and in areas with low university participation. Support is also available for care leavers and those estranged from their families, alongside subject-specific awards such as the Fluor Scholarships worth up to £10,000, for those who meet widening participation criteria and who are studying mechanical, electrical and electronic, civil, or chemical and process engineering.
