Worcester is increasingly on the front line of training students for careers that make a make a positive difference to society. Highly rated education courses remain a key strength for the university, founded as a teacher training college in 1946. Healthcare provision is flourishing too: in 2023 the Three Counties Medical School opened with 43 places, and this autumn offered 50 places, and 12 extra places will be available for UK students from 2025-26. Serving Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire, the new programme has a remit to address health inequalities in the region and shares facilities including a simulated GP surgery with students on the university’s broad range of courses in the health professions. The medical school’s Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Building is an addition to the Severn Campus for Health, Wellbeing and Inclusive Sport, the site of the UK’s first indoor sports arena designed for wheelchair athletes. The university’s broad subject mix extends across nine academic schools including arts and humanities; psychology; and business. 

What is the University of Worcester’s reputation? 

A rise of four places in our league table has lifted Worcester into the top 100 — just (99th). The step up is partly driven by a top-ten performance in our new sustainability metric, based on People & Planet’s university league based on environmental and ethical performance.

In the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) one third of Worcester’s submission was rated world-leading or internationally excellent, with some of its best results in art and design; history; and sport and exercise science. However, it fell out of the top 100 (121st) compared with its performance in the previous national assessment in 2014.

Triple silver — overall, for student experience and student outcomes — greeted Worcester in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF 2023). Rates of student satisfaction have yet to return to  pre-pandemic form. In our analysis of the latest National Student Survey, Worcester ranks 90= for feedback on teaching quality (down nine places year-on-year) and 74= for satisfaction with the wider undergraduate experience (down ten places). Further campus investment may help to shift the dial.

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

A new BSc in Nutrition and Dietetics has been launched. Foundation years have been added to a number of degrees including nutrition and dietetics; nursing (adult or mental health); occupational therapy; paramedic science; and physiotherapy. There are no course closures.

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

New entrants to Worcester averaged 118 Ucas tariff points across all courses, according to the latest figures — ranking it 93= for entry standards. Demand for places was the highest for three years in 2023, when Worcester attracted nearly 10,000 applications. New student enrolments were steady at 2,350.

What are the graduate prospects?

Work placements of up to 12 months are offered within degree courses and students benefit from links between the academic schools and related organisations. The focus on employability translates into a top-50 place for the university in our analysis of the latest Graduate Outcomes survey — which found that 78.36 per cent of Worcester graduates had found high-skilled work or returned to study within 15 months of finishing their degree.

What is the University of Worcester campus like?

There are four sites in the city, three of them teaching campuses less than a mile from each other. The headquarters — St John’s — houses science facilities including the National Pollen and Aerobiology Research Unit. The digital arts centre and drama studio are also at St John’s, while the attractive City campus incorporates the former Worcester Royal Infirmary and the striking golden-tiled Hive, Europe’s first integrated academic and public library. Worcester’s developing Creative Quarter. The Lakeside campus is the university’s base for outdoor learning and an activity centre.

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

The student population of more than 9,000 brings a youthful vibe to the historic setting  against a backdrop of rolling countryside. The opportunity for students to blow away the cobwebs at the top of a windy hill or unwind on the banks of the Severn is a big part of the university’s appeal.

As well as the Worcester Arena — which has a seating capacity of 2,000 at the fully sprung and wheelchair-accessible 12-court hall and three ice bath suites — there are sports facilities throughout the university sites. The Lakeside campus has 50 acres of open grass and woodland for bushcraft and a lake for open water swimming, canoeing and kayaking. The jetty has a disability hoist. University teams use Worcester Rowing Club on the River Severn and student cricketers use Ombersley Cricket Club.

There’s plenty to catch the attention of creative types too. The Hive hosts regular poetry and author events. The Infirmary Museum at the City campus explores the medical stories of the place where the British Medical Association began.

Worcester’s comprehensive programme of student welfare initiatives includes prompt access to counsellors and other mental health practitioners. Free workshops are offered covering topics such as managing anxiety, procrastination and perfectionism.

What do the students say?

“The atmosphere of the university feels like a big family, with support available everywhere. The university is very open to listening to what the students have to say. Worcester has everything that students need without having to travel very far away.”
Ruttuja Mane, students’ union president, business psychology

What about student accommodation at the University of Worcester?

Accommodation is guaranteed for first-years who firmly accept an offer and apply by the June deadline. Rooms are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

How diverse and inclusive is the University of Worcester?

Worcester is 71st in our social inclusion index of England and Wales. More than one in ten students register a disability (seventh), and its non-selective state school intake is in the top 30. But Worcester is less ethnically diverse than many other institutions, with 12.6 per cent of students from black and ethnic minority backgrounds (95th).

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

Academic Achievement scholarships worth £1,000 are awarded to eligible undergraduates in their second and third year of a degree course. Sports scholarships and bursaries are offered in partnership with some of the region’s most successful sports teams such as Worcestershire County Cricket Club, Worcester Hockey Club and Worcester Wolves Basketball Club.