Bangor University

Age: 127

History: Began as University College of North Wales, Bangor. Previously University of Wales, Bangor. Now Bangor University.

Address: North Wales coast, gateway to Anglesey. Do not confuse with 18 other Bangors worldwide.

Ambience: Wonderful position. On one side are the mountains of Snowdonia National Park, on the other is the Menai Strait. The town is actually a city, with the longest high street in Wales. Surrounding it all is the countryside, castles and a strong Welsh-speaking area. Boasts the best university setting in UK, with parts within six feet of the sea. Wet, blowy weather, but virtually no snow - although you will spot it on Snowdonia’s highest peaks.

Vital statistics: Previously part of the University of Wales, which underwent big-time restructuring in the 80s. Only 25 per cent of students come from north-west Wales, and an increase in international students in recent years means that around 20 per cent come from 26 EU and 85 other countries worldwide More than 10,000 students, with 2,000 part-timers. A lot of students for such a small place, so there's a strong community feel.

Added value: The ocean sciences department has a multi-million pound research ship. Undergraduates can get involved in the Bangor Employability Award (BEA) - a scheme which offers accreditation for co-curricular and extra curricular activities (e.g. volunteering, part-time work, clubs and societies etc.) that may not be formally recognised within the academic degree programme yet are valuable in the graduate jobs market. The construction of a £40m Arts and Innovation Centre is currently underway and is due to open in the 2013/14 academic year. The centre will be home to cutting-edge teaching and learning facilities, a theatre, cinema space, a studio theatre, exhibition spaces, social learning area and a bar and café. New degrees on offer include biology with biotechnology, medical biology, financial economics, control and instrumentation engineering. Membership of the Students’ Union clubs and societies is free of charge.

Easy to get into? Courses ask for 240 to 360 UCAS entry points.

Glittering alumni: Oscar-winner Danny Boyle, director of Slumdog Millionaire, Trainspotting and The Beach; Dr Robert Edwards, pioneer of test-tube babies; Ann Clwyd, Labour MP, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Presiding Officer, National Assembly for Wales; John Sessions, impressionist; Frances Barber, actress, Tim Haines, director (Walking with Dinosaurs).

Transport links: Good. 90 minutes from Manchester via the A55, direct trains from London Euston take less than four hours.

Who's the boss? Professor John Hughes, mathematician and theoretical physicist, became the university's seventh vice chancellor in 2010.

Teaching: It is ranked 20th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Research: 49th out of 115 in the Research Assessment Exercise.

Overall ranking: Ranked 78th out of 116 in the Complete University Guide.

Nightlife: There are four nightclubs. A brand new Students’ Union nightclub, Academi, opened in September 2011. As well as a nightclub, Academi houses two bars a café and shop.

How green is it? Good – came 28th out of 138 universities graded by People & Planet for their ‘Green League 2011’.

Any accommodation? Yes. There are over 2,350 rooms, and accommodation is guaranteed to all first years. Prices start at £71 per week for a room with shared facilities. Bangor has been placed in the top 10 for the WhatUni? Student Choice Awards in Accommodation (2011).

Cheap to live there? One of the cheapest places in Britain, private accommodation costs from £50 to £70 per week.

Sports ranking: 61st in the BUCS league table.

Fees: For 2012/13 the fees were set at £9,000 a year for full-time undergraduate courses. The level of tuition fee for 2013/14 is still to be set – check the University’s website for the latest information (www.bagnor.ac.uk) The Welsh government has announced that it will subside Welsh and EU students, meaning degrees will remain at £3,375 a year for them (based on 2012 figures).

Bursaries: Over £3m in scholarships on offer for 2013 entry, for further details visit the website.

Prospectus: 01248 383 561; www.bangor.ac.uk

UCAS code: B06