Work-ready skills are to the fore at Wolverhampton, the West Midlands university forged from the 19th-century mechanics institutes which provided vocational and general education to working men. Its mission is still to transform lives and over the past five years the university has been adapting its course portfolio to reflect industry needs and investing in facilities where students can cut their teeth. There are three campuses — Wolverhampton, Walsall and Telford — plus a new £120 million site in Springfield which has regenerated an old brewery into Europe’s largest specialist construction and built environment campus. 

No university recruits a higher proportion of students whose parents did not go to university (70.7 per cent) and few have a more ethnically diverse student population (24th). Wolverhampton also succeeds in attracting more mature students back to learning than all but 16 other universities. Research by the Higher Education Policy Institute think tank puts the university in the UK’s top ten for social mobility, and tailored financial assistance is available for the diverse student population. 

“Proudly Wolverhampton” is a drive by the students’ union to give undergraduates the best possible experience at university — and that includes nightlife. Fifteen years after the City campus bar closed, a new one has reopened. The Luna Lounge, designed by students, has space for live music with cut-price food and drinks.

What is the University of Wolverhampton’s reputation? 

Rising to sixth for social inclusion, the university has lost ground in our main academic league table, falling into the bottom ten. Poor continuation rates — often a by-product of a diverse intake — are among the sticking points: only 86 per cent of students are projected to carry on from the first to the second year of their degree. Our latest National Student Survey analysis shows Wolverhampton remains 54= for student satisfaction with teaching quality. However, the wider undergraduate experience attracted less positive feedback (86th, down ten places year-on-year).

For Wolverhampton’s new vice-chancellor Professor Ebrahim Adia, who took over in October 2023, raising participation in higher education is a personal priority. He was the first in his family to get a degree and has called for the government to pay a social mobility premium to institutions that create opportunities in communities where few people go to university.

The most recent Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023) rated Wolverhampton bronze (down from silver in the previous assessment). Although the assessment resulted in bronze overall, for the student experience and student outcomes, the TEF panel said Wolverhampton “fosters a supportive learning environment". The TEF report noted that the largest numbers of full-time students were within nursing and midwifery (14.3 per cent), business and management (12.7 per cent), and health and social care (10.7 per cent).

More than half of Wolverhampton’s submission to the Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) was judged as world-leading or internationally excellent (109th).

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

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What are the University of Wolverhampton’s entry requirements – and my chances of getting in?

Degree courses demand 96-120 Ucas tariff points (equivalent to CCC-BBB at A-level). Foundation years need 48 Ucas points. A contextual admissions policy applies to most courses and 28 per cent of students were recruited through clearing in 2023.  

What are the graduate prospects?

Wolverhampton’s courses are developed in consultation with industry practitioners and students have the opportunity to dip their toe into the professional world and work on subject-specific live briefs for external clients. The university is also keen to enter its students into national and international competitions. Wolverhampton climbs ten places in our graduate prospects index (83=) according to our analysis of the Graduate Outcomes survey, which shows that 73.4 per cent of leavers were in highly skilled jobs or had returned to further study 15 months after finishing their degree.

What is the University of Wolverhampton’s campus like?

Headquarters are at City campus in Wolverhampton, where the Screen School helps creative and digital students to develop their ideas and there are improved provision for pharmacy students. The university has invested in new facilities for healthcare, nursing and paramedic students based at Walsall and City campuses. In Telford the new Centre for Health and Social Care trains key workers. The Walsall campus is the base for high-quality sports facilities including a new Active Wellbeing, Rehabilitation and Performance Centre, funded by the Office for Students. The Springfield campus hosts the £45 million School of Architecture and Built Environment, focusing on modern methods of building. Technology available for student use includes drones, 3D laser scanners, ground-penetrating radar, VR tools and even a robotic dog called Spot, which has been designed to be a remote inspection tool to reduce safety risks on construction sites. The Elite Centre for Manufacturing Skills and National Brownfield Institute are also at Springfield. The university has also branched out to Hereford with the Midlands Centre for Cyber Security. 

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

Birmingham’s legendary nightlife is a train or tram ride away —  and Wolverhampton has its own bars and nightclubs too. The Walsall campus has extensive sports facilities including grass and 3G pitches, outdoor courts for tennis and netball, a gym and strength facility and a 200m running track. The campus hosts the British Judo Centre of Excellence, which has an Olympic standard-training Dojo and performance gym.

A mental health and wellbeing team offers group work and one-to-one sessions, and promises to respond to student registration within 48 hours. There are staff and students working across academic departments to put student welfare first, from the disability and inclusion team to wellbeing champions and the financial hardship team. The 24-hour WLV Student Life Connect service allows students to reach a trained counsellor 24/7, or talk to a problem-solver trained by Citizens Advice.

What do the students say?

“My lecturer has supported and pushed me to achieve more than I thought I was capable of. The university has given me opportunities as a mature student I didn’t think were possible. As a mum, it has helped me regain my identity and I would highly recommend anyone to take the leap and chase your dreams.”
Kim Maloney, international hospitality management student and students’ union events co-ordinator

What about student accommodation at the University of Wolverhampton?

Wolverhampton’s halls are among the UK’s most pocket-friendly, with rooms starting at £94 a week. Allocations are made on a first-come, first-served basis.

How diverse and inclusive is the University of Wolverhampton university?

Wolverhampton’s outreach work aims to raise aspirations and attainment among young people in the region, from primary school age up to mature students. The Aspire2Uni programme for schoolchildren in year 8-11 offers mentoring and outreach activities. Wolverhampton’s recruitment and retention of students from deprived areas are the 11th best in England and Wales.

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

The WLV Wallet bursary (£200 in the first year, £100 the next) helps students pay for resources such as mobile data and books. Any student can seek free testing for dyslexia, and the university covers the cost of assistive technology for disabled students. There are bursaries for estranged and care-experienced students or those in hardship, and £1,000 scholarships for women in engineering.